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Can we climb the sustainability ladder?

By Natalie Martin on September 15th, 2021 in Circular Economy, Food and beverage, News
Climbing the sustainability ladder with 3R

The seventh in a series written for NZ Food Technology.

By Natalie Martin, 3R Group Materials Innovation Manager

We all know the well-used mantra of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’, where the three actions are often referred to as equal partners in our bid to reduce environmental harm.

However, while recycling is something of an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, reduction and reuse are where the most sustainable outcomes are often created.

When it comes to packaging, especially food packaging, this can be challenging considering the role it plays in food safety and quality. The other major issue challenged by reduction and reuse is the convenience consumers expect.

Banning plastic bags showed it’s possible to give up some convenience but expecting shoppers to come armed with a trolley full of clean, empty containers might seem a stretch. The question is: How do you make reusable options feel convenient?

Unfortunately, I can’t give a one-size-fits-all answer. However, change needs to be incremental, it must be targeted at packaging which will have the biggest impact, and it must be critically assessed to avoid unintended consequences.

Collaboration is also essential as refillable containers need to be standardised to make the collection, transport and sterilising viable. In a supermarket setting this would mean a container could be taken back to any store in a large network.

A good example is the ABC Swappa Crate system which has been running for a century, keeping millions of glass beer bottles in use. The key to success here is a combination of low cost for consumers and collaboration to use standardised bottles which produce economies of scale. When packaging is a key differential for the brand this could be a challenge.

Despite the challenges, there is a growing trend towards reusable options for some products. Again Again, which developed a successful, and growing, reusable coffee cup sharing model is working to expand to other food and beverage markets like takeaways and beer. Again, collaboration is key.

There is without doubt an exciting opportunity to make significant changes to our current single-use model.  Working together, companies can make refillable and returnable options more commonplace and satisfy consumers’ demand for greater sustainability.

Previous 3R case study glass packaging forum glass bottles

Case study: Glass Packaging Forum

Next Plastic spoons 3R discusses government's plastic action plan

Gov lays out national action plan for tackling plastic

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ISO 14001:2015

Environmental management systems and safe work practices.

ISO 14001:2015 is an internationally recognised standard that certifies our commitment to environmental management systems and safe work practices.

Consistent with our environmental policy, the intended outcomes of our environmental management system include:

  • The enhancement of environmental performance;
  • The fulfilment of compliance obligations;
  • The achievement of environmental objectives.

Our ISO 14001:2015 certification includes 3R Operations, the Paint Product Stewardship Programmes, ChemCollect Service and the SeatSmart Child Car Seat Recycling Programme (owned and operated by 3R).

This certification is audited by TELARC.

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Keeping our people safe, healthy and happy.

ISO 45001:2018 certification has been chosen to demonstrate the importance we place in caring for our people as we bring to life our values of Kaitiakitanga and Manaakitanga.

Keeping our team safe, healthy and happy is a primary focus for our business. We feel that the work our operations staff do makes this particularly important. Their responsibilities can include collecting and processing paint; collecting chemicals; driving trucks around the country; and getting hands-on with work wherever needed.

3R received ISO 45001:2018 certification in 2021. The ISO 45001:2018 certificate is valid for 3 years and includes annual surveillance audits which provide a valuable framework for further growth.

What is a circular economy?

New Zealand is “one of the highest generators of waste per person in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)”. The way we currently produce and manage our waste is not sustainable.

The current economy in New Zealand is linear: this equates to a process of take-make-use-dispose. The aim of the government is to move towards a circular economy.

A circular economy can refer to either biological or technical materials.

With biological materials, the cycle could be defined as make-consume-enrich. In this cycle waste returns to the environment and enriches the land.

A technical materials cycle may be more like make-use-return. In a technical materials cycle waste is repurposed and used to make something new.

Whether you need help with biological materials, technical materials, or both; 3R can partner with your business to assess your current waste, then help you reduce it.