Packaging Impact Quick Evaluation Tool (PIQET)
Recently launched on the global market, PIQET is an innovative new software program, developed by the Sustainable Products and Packaging group. Packaging Impact Quick Evaluation Tool (PIQET) is an online tool that identifies and reviews actions to reduce the environmental impact of food and beverage packaging, particularly at the design development stage.
PIQET has been selected by Global food giant Nestle to evaluate its packaging requirements and subsequent environmental impacts.
PIQET enables packaging specifications, manufacturing and distribution data to be quickly entered and assessed. It considers all levels of packaging and product categories and allows for assessments of incoming raw materials packaging systems and outgoing product packaging systems of an organisation. Users of PIQET are able to explore improvement options by quickly re-running evaluations with changed packaging system specifications.
PIQET was developed for the Sustainable Packaging Alliance (SPA), with funding from Sustainability Victoria and the Commonwealth's Departments of Environment and Water Resources and Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. PIQET has already been used by Cadbury Schweppes, Lion Nathan, MasterFoods and Simplot, several of whom were involved in the development of the online tool.
PIQET is available by subscription from the Sustainable Packaging Alliance.
Sustainable Packaging Alliance
The Sustainable Packaging Alliance (SPA) plays a leadership role in defining and demonstrating sustainable packaging concepts and creating commercial solutions.
The Alliance aims to be recognised as the National Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Packaging and to be recognised internationally for its leadership and demonstrated industry outcomes. Specifically its strategic research, technology transfer, education and influence programs will:
- Create a vision that defines benchmarks and measures for assessing the sustainability of packaging systems.
- Build industry understanding and capability to develop and commercialise sustainable packaging solutions.
- Develop tools and methodologies to facilitate design and assessment of packaging systems sustainability.
- Identify barriers to the development of sustainable packaging and facilitate implementation of strategies to address them.
SPA is an initiative of:
- The Centre for Design at RMIT University
- Packaging and Polymer Research Unit at Victoria University
- Birubi Innovation
Methodology
SPA provides the following services:
- Independent knowledge for industry, policy makers and the general public
- Development of tools and protocols to create a language for engagement and decision making
- Structured technology transfer programs to facilitate knowledge exchange between diverse stakeholder groups to enable change at all points along the packaging chain.
Specifically it will build a collaborative research and technology transfer capability in:
- Credible environmental impact assessment of packaging systems
- Understanding the social impact and acceptance of (consumer) packaging and its post consumer waste management
- Design of sustainable packaging systems
- Packaging supply chain integration
- Sustainable manufacture, reprocessing and re-use of packaging materials
The Alliance takes into account the diverse interests of stakeholders involved in all stages of the packaging supply chain, from raw material manufacturer, via converter, end user and retailer through to collector, re-processor and re-user, to understand the environmental impact of packaging and create integrated, commercially viable solutions for improvement.
Projects
- Examples of current and completed projects are:
- Packaging Impact Quick Evaluation Tool – PIQET
- Industrial packaging supply chain project
- Environmental risk assessment of packaging systems
- Environmental design advice
- Review of packaging environmental data for National Packaging Covenant
- Roundtable forums
- Training workshops – external and in-house
More information can be found at the SPA website or by contacting Karli Verghese at Karli.Verghese@rmit.edu.au