A Holistic Approach to Design Support for Bio-polymer Based Packaging
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ORIGINAL PAPER
A Holistic Approach to Design Support for Bio-polymer Based Packaging J. A. Colwill • E. I. Wright • S. Rahimifard
Published online: 11 November 2012 Ó Springer Science+Business Media New York 2012
Abstract The growing interest in bio-polymers as a packaging material, particularly from companies looking to reduce their environmental footprint, has resulted in wider adoption. Traditionally the selection and specification of packaging materials was based on aesthetic, technical and financial factors, for which established metrics exist. However with bio-polymers, where the primary rationale for their use is environmental, alternative metrics are required. Furthermore, there is a significant strategic element to the decision process that requires a broader range of horizontal and vertical inputs, both within the business and the wider supply chain. It is therefore essential that a holistic approach is taken to the bio-polymer based packaging design process to ensure that the final packaging meets the original strategic intent and overall requirements of the business. Current ecopackaging design tools are generally limited to professional users, such as designers or packaging engineers, and generally provide tactical rather than strategic support. This disconnect, between the need for inclusivity and greater strategic support in holistic design, and the exclusivity and largely tactical support of current eco-design support tools, indicates a clear need for a new decision support tool for sustainable pack design using bio-polymers. This paper proposes a framework for an eco-design decision support tool for bio-polymer based packaging that has been developed using a predominantly qualitative research approach based on reviews, interviews and industrial packaging design experience and is an extension of previously published work.
J. A. Colwill (&) E. I. Wright S. Rahimifard Centre for Sustainable Manufacturing and Reuse/Recycling Technologies (SMART), Wolfson School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK e-mail: [email protected]
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This research investigates further how existing eco-design methods, such as the ‘Balanced Score Card’, can be applied within the tool and how the shortcomings associated with incorporating social and environmental aspects can be partly resolved, through a simplified set of metrics tailored specifically for bio-polymer packaging decisions. The results of this research is a framework for the development of a three tier eco-design tool for bio-polymer packaging that provides decision support at the three critical stages of the design process: strategic fit, Feasibility assessment and concept/ pack development. Keywords Biopolymers Sustainable design Packaging Decision support tool Multi criteria decision making Life cycle assessment
Introduction The development of bio-polymers has been driven largely in response to the growing concerns regarding the sustainability of conventional polymers and the environmenta
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