Sustainability Data Configuration and CO2 Emission Calculation of Packaging products for Packaging Manufacturers

1. Sustainability Data Configuration
2. CO2 Emissions calculation of own packaging

1. Sustainability Data Configuration

Packaging manufacturers can now enter data in several new fields under the Configuration tab, within the "Sustainability" card, namely: Reusability, Materials, and Reverse Logistics. This section is accessible for both newly created and existing packaging, enabling packaging manufacturers to update sustainability information for previously added packaging products. To add or modify these fields, users with Administrator rights should click the pencil icon on the Sustainability card.

Note: When packaging manufacturers enter sustainability data, such as - reusability, materials, and reverse logistics - this information is treated as confidential and is not shared with other company types. It is only visible to the packaging manufacturer who provided the data.

Note: If the total weight of the materials exceeds the tare weight, an error message will appear, indicating that the input values need to be adjusted.

Note: When multi-use is selected, Validaide’s Reverse Logistics feature automatically assumes that 100% of the packaging product is returned to the origin location, unless specified otherwise by the packaging manufacturer. By default, the transport mode used for this return is assumed to be air transport, as it represents the most polluting return method in the Sustainability Module. This assumption is also subject to change if a different mode is specified by the packaging manufacturer.

Reverse Logistics Evidence - Companies offering multi-use packaging must provide evidence of reverse logistics to support their claims of sturdiness and reusability. This should be done by uploading the relevant supporting documentation under the Files tab.

After adding additional visual or supporting materials, packaging manufacturers can publish it by clicking "Publish". 

Once the sustainability data is added, the packaging provider can view it in the widget on the right-hand side, located visible under the Overview tab of each packaging solution.  One of the key components displayed in the widget is the CO2 emission of the packaging product. The calculation methos for the emission value is explained in the section below.  

2. CO2 Emissions calculation of own packaging

Packaging manufacturers can easily calculate emissions of their packaging products based on the MIT methodology and directly publish this information for their customers. The emission data is displayed as a new column, titled tCO2e/m3 (total CO2 emissions per cubic meter, adjusted for the product reusability), under the Packaging menu and on the individual packaging, under the Overview tab.

Packaging CO2 Emission Calculation Method 

The tCO2e/m3 column uses the following metrics to calculate the CO2 emissions on the Packaging Listing page:

• Reusability Component: When entering sustainability data, if the packaging manufacturer specifies that the packaging is multi-use, the calculation will incorporate the indicated number of reuse cycles. For single-use packaging, the reusability count defaults to 1. If no sustainability data is provided for a particular packaging item, Validaide assumes a default single-use scenario and apply a reusability count of 1.
• Materials Component: When sustainability data is entered in the Materials form, the tare weight specified under the Dimensions card - determines the weight used for the materials calculation. If no materials are specified, Validaide defaults to using the most polluting material for the calculation. Once the packaging manufacturer defines the materials, the selected items from the Materials list are used. These materials are evaluated based on their associated CO₂ emissions, accounting for both production and end-of-life impacts.

Note: Packaging emissions are visible only to the packaging manufacturers themselves, as they reflect emissions exclusively related to packaging materials production and end-of-life processing and reusability. Freight forwarders and pharmaceutical manufacturers will in the future see a different value under their “My Packaging” section. The difference lies with the calculation, as their packaging CO₂  emission is based on a standard lane, where the reverse logistics will also be included.