HISC Report September 2011 Home Improvement Sector Commitment Report 2011 forward Overview Reducing packaging Reducing waste to landfill Helping consumers Report 2011
HISC Report September 2011 Overview Our experience shows that voluntary agreements or responsibility deals as they re also known make a difference. They work well because they give signatories the flexibility to come up with environmentally-sound solutions which work for their business and their customers. At the same time, the agreements deliver change within the framework of a collective ambition that enables suppliers and contractors to adapt and bring forward solutions. The Home Improvement Sector Commitment is an example of this approach. The collective pledge by leading UK home improvement retailers and brands signals a concerted effort to deliver significant reductions in packaging and waste sent to landfill while helping customers make positive product choices and recycle more. This report provides a snapshot of the progress being made by signatories to the Commitment. The data collated show that signatories have already exceeded the waste to landfill target and are making progress against the packaging target. The packaging target remains challenging. Opportunities to make significant changes are being identified and several innovative packaging formats have been introduced. However, reducing packaging requires consideration of the implications of change throughout the entire supply chain, and this takes time to implement due to the limited frequency of product range reviews in the sector and supply chains often stretching as far as China. WRAP applauds the steps signatories have taken to deliver significant reductions. We look forward to working with signatories, their suppliers, contractors and others in the sector to deliver the agreement targets, improve the resource efficiency of products, optimise packaging, reduce waste and to respond to the environmental concerns of their customers. Dr Liz Goodwin, Chief Executive, WRAP... signatories have already exceeded the waste to landfill target and are making progress against the packaging target. Overview Reducing packaging Reducing waste to landfill Helping consumers Report 2011 page 2
HISC Report September 2011 Overview cont. The Home Improvement Sector Commitment was launched in September 2009 with the aim of improving the resource efficiency of home improvement products throughout the UK by reducing packaging and waste in the sector. Signatories to the Commitment Argos, B&Q, Crown Paints, Focus DIY 1, Henkel, Homebase, ICI Paints Akzo Nobel and Wickes represent almost half of the total UK home improvement retail sales. Through the Commitment the signatories are working together to: Reduce packaging by 15% by the end of 2012 2. Reduce waste to landfill from their operations by 50% by the end of 2012. Help consumers. Reducing packaging The packaging target covers primary, secondary and transit packaging on signatories own product ranges. Signatory initiatives include optimising primary packaging during product range reviews, reviewing secondary packaging to match current handling and distribution practices, developing less bulky alternatives to clamshells and blister packs and introducing reusable systems for home deliveries of large products. Cutting waste to landfill The landfill target helps ensure that packaging reductions are delivered in a way that does not increase damage to products and delivers broader environmental benefits to the signatories and the UK as a whole. Signatories are segregating more waste streams for recycling and retailers are back hauling waste to distribution centres to consolidate recyclable materials into valuable quantities for collection for recycling. Helping consumers For this qualitative objective, signatories are designing and specifying products and packaging that are easier to recycle and providing packaging and recyclability guidance to suppliers. Signatories and their suppliers are also adopting on-pack recycling labelling and supporting initiatives, such as take back schemes, to make recycling easier for their customers. 1. Focus DIY ceased trading in 2011. Its sales, packaging and waste data are included in this report s analysis of January 2007 to December 2010. 2. Both the packaging and waste to landfill targets are measured from a 2007 baseline. Overview Reducing packaging Reducing waste to landfill Helping consumers Report 2011 page 3
HISC Report September 2011 Reducing packaging Between 2007 and 2010, packaging usage on signatories own label and direct sourced products across the UK has been reduced by over 20,000 tonnes per annum. This avoided packaging would have been enough to more than fill 37 Olympic swimming pools and accounts for an estimated reduction of 37,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions 3. Adjusted for the impact of the recession and decline in sales volumes, this is a like for like packaging reduction of more than 14,000 tonnes a 12% reduction against a December 2012 target of a 15% reduction. Looking forward Signatories have improved the quality of packaging data available to better inform their decisions on future priorities for packaging reductions, and more packaging improvements are underway. However, the frequency of product range reviews to identify opportunities for change, and the lead time for developing new packaging and delivering it into store means that achieving a 15% reduction by the end of 2012 remains challenging. Signatories are calling on suppliers and contractors to work with them and come forward with solutions to ensure the packaging reduction target is delivered. More retailers, brands and product manufacturers are also invited to contact WRAP to join the collective effort to improve the resource efficiency of home improvement products, optimise packaging and reduce waste. 12% reduction in packaging of signatories own label and direct sourced products 3. Based on limited packaging material usage data from signatories and from embedded carbon in packaging materials data developed by WRAP, WRAP has estimated the embedded carbon within signatories packaging to be 1.89 tonnes CO2 eq. emissions per 1 tonne of packaging used. Reducing packaging Overview Reducing waste to landfill Helping consumers Report 2011 page 4
HISC Report September 2011 B&Q B&Q has optimised packaging designs throughout its ranges of bathroom accessories and kitchen taps. This has reduced cardboard usage and the smaller packs have also improved distribution efficiency. The changes have resulted in: 50 tonnes reduction in cardboard packaging for bathroom accessories. 140 tonnes reduction in cardboard packaging for kitchen taps. 500,000 saved per year in material, freight and handling costs. Following successful trials B&Q has also extended its usage of reusable packaging for delivery of bulky products to customers homes. This latest initiative sees long kitchen fittings being delivered in reusable packaging. This change has led to: 80,000 cost savings each year. Avoiding 435 tonnes of cardboard packaging per annum from going to waste. Reducing waste going to landfill. No inconvenient bulky packaging left with customer. Before The project also attracted praise in Parliament: Speaking at a Parliamentary debate about waste reduction (18 May), Defra Minister for the Natural Environment Richard Benyon praised B&Q s packaging reduction measures. He said that B&Q s scheme had prevented 435 tonnes of cardboard waste and saved the company about 80,000 per year. After Reducing packaging Overview Reducing waste to landfill Helping consumers Report 2011 page 5
HISC Report September 2011 Henkel Henkel has continued to reap the rewards of a major secondary packaging value analysis programme at its Winsford production site. The programme challenges the design of shelf-ready packaging and other secondary packaging formats. This has resulted in reducing the number of different secondary packaging formats as well as significantly optimising material usage in secondary packaging designs. Substantial cost savings have been achieved through reduced material usage, reduced secondary packaging inventory, storage and handling costs. For example secondary packaging corrugated board trays to hold multiple pots have been replaced with simple corrugated board sheets. Home Retail Group Home Retail Group (Argos and Homebase) has implemented a reusable packaging system for the distribution and home delivery of upholstered furniture. The sofa bag is in use for deliveries by both Argos and Homebase and each piece of reusable packaging is expected to be used on average at least 10 times. The benefits include: Cost and environmental benefits as less packaging is used and less product damaged. Savings of about 1,800 tonnes of single-use packaging each year. Fewer customer returns and no waste for customers to dispose of. Zero waste to landfill as at the end of life the sofa bag is sent to a plastics reprocessor for recycling. Corrugated board trays and inserts to hold multiple pots replaced with simple corrugated board sheet Wickes Travis Perkins has optimised polymer usage for its bagged aggregate products across both its Wickes retail and merchant business. This has been achieved by changing the blend of polymer used, increasing its strength, enabling the thickness of the material to be reduced, resulting in a 5% reduction in material use. This will generate 60,000 material cost savings each year. Reducing packaging Overview Reducing waste to landfill Helping consumers Report 2011 page 6
HISC Report September 2011 Cutting waste to landfill Between 2007 and 2010, signatories reduced waste sent to landfill in the UK by over 80,000 tonnes enough to more than fill 189 Olympic swimming pools. Adjusted for the decline in sales volumes this is a like for like reduction of waste sent to landfill of more than 61,000 tonnes a 64% reduction against a December 2012 target of a 50% reduction. Looking forward Signatories are confident that this level of reduction in waste to landfill can be maintained through to the end of the agreement. However, the waste data indicates that improvements have primarily been made by recycling waste rather than reducing waste arising. Therefore challenges remain to cut product damage and optimise transit packaging to reduce waste arising. Figure 1 - Amount of waste sent to landfill. 2007 116 kt 2010 35 kt 64% reduction in waste to landfill Reducing waste to landfill Overview Reducing packaging Helping consumers Report 2011 page 7
HISC Report September 2011 Travis Perkins Group Travis Perkins Group (including its Wickes retail business) is committed to reducing the amount of waste produced by its business activities and to increasing the amount of waste that is recycled or recovered. Since 2007, the baseline year for the agreement, Wickes has reduced waste to landfill by 69% (over 12,000 tonnes). This was achieved via a combination of waste management solutions including, implementation of a new waste management contract, phased removal of large open skips and replacement with smaller wheelie bins and backhauling segregated materials from stores to distribution centres for consolidation and recycling. This includes plastic wrapping, cardboard packaging and a growing number of other materials such as used customer bulk bags, plastic banding, office papers (which is made into Sundeala notice boards which are then sold in Travis Perkins branches), old brochures and catalogues, pallets (increased pallet return rate from 12,000 per month to over 80,000 per month across group) and scrap timber. B&Q B&Q has worked to increase its recycling rate from stores. Since 2007 waste sent to landfill has fallen by 73% (37,000 tonnes per annum) and the proportion of waste that is recycled has grown from 47% to 82%. This has been achieved by removing general waste skips from the back of most of its stores and replacing them with a segregated waste solution. The retailer anticipates reaching its corporate target for 90% recycling by the end of next year. Home Retail Group Home Retail Group has continued to reduce waste sent to landfill and to increase the proportion of waste that is recycled. Since the baseline year for this agreement, waste sent to landfill has reduced by 79% (almost 28,000 tonnes per annum) and the proportion of all waste produced that is sent for recycling has grown from 53% of all waste to 87%. Reducing waste to landfill Overview Reducing packaging Helping consumers Report 2011 page 8
HISC Report September 2011 Helping consumers Signatories have reported their progress in four areas: Designing products and packaging that are easier to recycle. Providing guidance to suppliers. Redesigned paint brush packs with an easy to recycle cardboard sleeve Providing clear and accurate guidance to consumers. Supporting initiatives that help make recycling easier. Designing products and packaging that are easier to recycle Homebase introduced new transit and retail packaging across its whole paint preparation category, including brushes, rollers and paint trays. This reduced packaging across this category range by more than 100 tonnes. One example was changing some paint brush packs from plastic clamshells, which are not easy to recycle, to a carton board sleeve. This made the product easier for customers to open and helped them to recycle. Overview Reducing packaging Reducing waste to landfill Helping consumers Report 2011 page 9
HISC Report September 2011 Providing guidance to suppliers Several signatories have included details of the Introduction to Packaging and Recyclability guidance within updated supplier guidance. This guide, published by the Packaging Resources Action Group (PRAG) in November 2009, aims to inform designers, marketers and packaging specifiers, at a general level, about design decisions they need to consider when developing packaging for recycling at the end of its life cycle. PRAG is a multi-stakeholder partnership between central and local government, manufacturers and retailers, waste management companies and reprocessors. Providing clear and accurate guidance to consumers On-pack recycling labels have been adopted by a number of signatories and their suppliers to increase the consistency and accuracy of recycling information available to consumers. These include: Argos Arthouse B&Q Croydex Focus DIY Gardman Henkel Highlander Homebase Integra Kohler Mira Lyvia National Carpets National Trust Solus Garden and Leisure Speedy Products Stormguard Tacima Uni-Com Westland Horticulture At B&Q more than 18,000 products now sport the On-Pack Recycling Label giving clear instructions to our customers on how their packaging can be recycled. Martyn Phillips, CEO, B&Q Overview Reducing packaging Reducing waste to landfill Helping consumers Report 2011 page 10
HISC Report September 2011 Supporting initiatives that help make recycling easier Crown Paints Crown Paints recognised the limited recycling points for paint pots and has established a take back scheme at all of its Crown Decorator Centre stores, providing its customers with a recycling route for empty polypropylene and steel containers. Home Retail Group Home Retail Group introduced a packaging take back and recycling scheme for home deliveries of bulky kitchen appliances, with 40% of customers making use of this service in 2009. They also take back old appliances for recycling. And in August 2011 Argos announced the roll-out of a bed recycling scheme in conjunction with Silentnight Beds. The retailer recognised that some customers can find disposing of an old bed inconvenient, frustrating and costly. Under the bed take back initiative, which began trials with online orders in 2010, Argos will remove a customer s old bed for a 30 charge when delivering their new one. ICI Paints AkzoNobel ICI Paints AkzoNobel initiated a study to understand what is required to deliver a successful Local Authority recycling scheme for paint. One example is the partnership between Cambridgeshire County Council and waste management company Donarbon, working with the national Community RePaint network. Residents will be able to drop off their unwanted paint at six recycling centres across the county, and the Cambridgeshire Community Reuse and Recycling Network (CCORRN) will organise the collection and use of the paint by charities and community groups. Overview Reducing packaging Reducing waste to landfill Helping consumers Report 2011 page 11
For further information about the Home Improvement Sector Commitment Web: www.wrap.org.uk/diy E-mail: nikki.bailey@wrap.org.uk Phone: 01295 819900 For further information about resource efficiency contact WRAP Tel: 0808 100 2040 Web: www.wrap.org.uk While steps have been taken to ensure its accuracy, WRAP cannot accept responsibility or be held liable to any person for any loss or damage arising out of or in connection with this information being inaccurate, incomplete or misleading. This material is copyrighted. It may be reproduced free of charge subject to the material being accurate and not used in a misleading context. The source of the material must be identified and the copyright status acknowledged. This material must not be used to endorse or used to suggest WRAP s endorsement of a commercial product or service. For more details, please refer to our Terms & Conditions on our website www.wrap.org.uk WRAP is delivered by: England Waste & Resources Action Programme The Old Academy 21 Horse Fair Banbury, Oxon OX16 0AH Tel: 01295 819 900 Helpline freephone Fax: 01295 Reducing 819 911 waste to landfill 0808 100 2040 Helping consumers E-mail: info@wrap.org.uk www.wrap.org.uk back home