The GRI looks at materials with added functionality which can reduce waste across the life cycle of food and other products and talks about the pourable yoghurt, MiGurt, which can be transported without refrigeration and has an extended shelf life of six months.
Empresas Polarmade, MiGurt
In the report, compiled in accordance with the GRI G4 Reporting Guidelines (2013), Ken MacKenzie, MD/CEO, Amor said it wants to take advantage of technical knowledge to drive sustainability improvements.
MiGurt was launched late last year by food manufacturer Empresas Polarmade from barrier polyethylene terephthalate (PET) by Amcor Rigid Plastics.
It is sold through Empresas Polar’s subsidiary Pascual Andina in Carabobo, Venezuela.
“As the global population continues to grow, up to a third of the food we produce around the world is wasted. To access the nutrients people need to enjoy a healthy life, better use of our resources is required,” said MacKenzie.
“Packaging continues to play a role, protecting the product from the farm, throughout the distribution process into stores, arriving at the intended destination fit for consumption. Our packaging continues to get smarter with technology such as moisture absorbing layers extending the shelf life of products, resulting in less waste.”
MiGurt saves energy and lets consumers in low-income regions not served by refrigerated distribution channels to buy a dairy drink. It comes in a 750g bottle but Empresas Polar plans to create smaller, single-serve 100g and 250g yogurts.
Hovis bread packaging
MacKenzie said for many people, choosing packaging that can be recycled may seem like the most sustainable option but this isn’t always true. Life cycle assessments (LCA) can give end-to-end information to make informed decisions about the most sustainable packaging option.
For example, Amcor worked with Hovis in the UK to redesign the packaging for its Seed Sensations bread bag. The existing packaging for the bread was a plastic bag, made from polyethylene, derived from petrochemicals.
“We compared the life cycle impacts of this packaging to that of a new bag, made from a blend of petrochemical polyethylene and that derived from sugar cane,” he added.
“The LCA compared the GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions from the point of raw material extraction and processing, starting with the extraction and processing of crude oil compared to the production, harvesting and processing of the sugar cane and ending with the disposal by landfill or incineration of the bags after the bread was consumed.
“The LCA found production of the bread bag made from the renewable sugar cane plastic would generate 4g of GHG per bread bag, 75% less than the 19g generated by production of the existing petrochemical based bag.
Processing raw materials
“The difference is largely due to the extraction and processing of the raw materials used to produce the plastic film along with the removal of atmospheric CO2 by the sugar cane as it grows.”
The firm’s approach to sustainability is driven by five focus areas: Environment, Community, Workplace, Marketplace and Economy. Performance is measured in each of these areas to allow for benchmarking against international standards and other corporate peers.
Other highlights in the report include: continued improvement in workplace safety results with the company’s best ever Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate at 0.5 (29 lost time injuries) and Recordable Case Frequency Rate at 2.0 (128 cases) – a 20% reduction in injury rates compared to the previous year.
It will also invest $5m over five years, as part of a Community Program for co-workers to apply for grants to contribute to community programs and initiatives and the results and its EnviroAction program set up in 2010/11 has seen reduced greenhouse gas emission by 19%; waste to landfill by 53%; and water use by 16%.