Pullapart
Encyclopedia
PullApart is a UK-based, independent packaging recycling
classification system. Applied at the kerbside, it combines environmental
and consumer
packaging surveys
to provide customers with a measurement of the ease with which specific types of packaging may be recycled locally. The process was invented by Michael Butler
of Dawlish
in 2005, and is operated for free.
A final, consumer-oriented "PAC" (PullApart Code) score is achieved by measuring what proportion of a product's components is recyclable from the kerbside. The PAC score is represented by 13 stages of ‘traffic light’ grading.
, retailers
, food and agricultural
producers to give greater weight to the ease of disposal and recycling in their packaging designs. Weighting the consumers point of view equally to that of packaging manufactures, retailers and recyclers, in the handling of domestic waste products for kerbside collections. To provide consumers with information enabling product choice (ethical consumerism
), that's easy, local and totally kerbside recyclable. Furnishing an unambiguous tool, that measures the differences between those mentioned above, assisting in the optimisation of products for the goal of near Zero waste
.
According to PullApart’s current Teignbridge
(2011) survey of over 2000 products, 2.84% are ideally suited for kerbside recycling and a further 29.32% are good, whilst the rest fail. The sample area, Teignbridge, and therefore Teignbridge District Council, has a current recycling rate of 57% (2008/2009), (by weight). Quoting from their periodical
, “Teignbridge Life” explaining to local people how PullApart works: “The online packaging recycling guide features a free search function which classifies ordinary consumer products, like cereal boxes, with a 'PullApart' rating. The rating breaks the product down into its components, explaining which parts can be recycled in Teignbridge.”
s, etc. Efforts involve methodologies such as life cycle assessment
to inventory the all environmental impacts and factors.
There are many Sustainability metrics and indices
, some specifically for packaging.
Journals
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
classification system. Applied at the kerbside, it combines environmental
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
and consumer
Consumer
Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...
packaging surveys
Statistical survey
Survey methodology is the field that studies surveys, that is, the sample of individuals from a population with a view towards making statistical inferences about the population using the sample. Polls about public opinion, such as political beliefs, are reported in the news media in democracies....
to provide customers with a measurement of the ease with which specific types of packaging may be recycled locally. The process was invented by Michael Butler
Michael Butler
Michael Butler is a musician and podcaster from San Francisco, California, United States.He is well-known for his popular podcast, The Rock and Roll Geek Show, one of the earlier podcasts and a featured program on Mevio , a Podcasting start-up and Butler's employer since late 2005. Butler is the...
of Dawlish
Dawlish
Dawlish is a town and civil parish in Teignbridge on the south coast of Devon in England, from the county town of Exeter. It has a population of 12,819...
in 2005, and is operated for free.
Methodology
As PullApart is applied to existing local authority-installed recycling bin refuse collection systems, its scoring scheme is dependent on individual local authorities’ own packaging disassembly practices. Sample packaging is disassembled, according to the Local Authority’s process, rearranged and its components graded for ease of recycling. The raw information from this exercise is also made available to the public.A final, consumer-oriented "PAC" (PullApart Code) score is achieved by measuring what proportion of a product's components is recyclable from the kerbside. The PAC score is represented by 13 stages of ‘traffic light’ grading.
Broader aims
PullApart’s stated aims are to encourage, manufacturesManufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
, retailers
Retailing
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
, food and agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
producers to give greater weight to the ease of disposal and recycling in their packaging designs. Weighting the consumers point of view equally to that of packaging manufactures, retailers and recyclers, in the handling of domestic waste products for kerbside collections. To provide consumers with information enabling product choice (ethical consumerism
Ethical consumerism
Ethical consumerism is the intentional purchase of products and services that the customer considers to be made ethically. This may mean with minimal harm to or exploitation of humans, animals and/or the natural environment...
), that's easy, local and totally kerbside recyclable. Furnishing an unambiguous tool, that measures the differences between those mentioned above, assisting in the optimisation of products for the goal of near Zero waste
Zero waste
Zero waste is a philosophy that encourages the redesign of resource life cycles so that all products are reused. Any trash sent to landfills and incinerators is minimal. The process recommended is one similar to the way that resources are reused in nature...
.
According to PullApart’s current Teignbridge
Teignbridge
Teignbridge is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council is based in Newton Abbot.Other towns in the district include Ashburton, Dawlish and Teignmouth...
(2011) survey of over 2000 products, 2.84% are ideally suited for kerbside recycling and a further 29.32% are good, whilst the rest fail. The sample area, Teignbridge, and therefore Teignbridge District Council, has a current recycling rate of 57% (2008/2009), (by weight). Quoting from their periodical
Periodical publication
Periodical literature is a published work that appears in a new edition on a regular schedule. The most familiar examples are the newspaper, often published daily, or weekly; or the magazine, typically published weekly, monthly or as a quarterly...
, “Teignbridge Life” explaining to local people how PullApart works: “The online packaging recycling guide features a free search function which classifies ordinary consumer products, like cereal boxes, with a 'PullApart' rating. The rating breaks the product down into its components, explaining which parts can be recycled in Teignbridge.”
Awards for the scheme
PullApart is considered to be of “Environmental Best Practice” by The Green Organisation.Comparison with other efforts
Worldwide there are broader packaging scoring systems that address the full environmental impact of packaging. Recycling being one factor, other vital considerations include the use of recycled materials in the package, avoidance of toxic substances, minimization of packaging, effects on atmosphere (greenhouse gas, VOC, etc), use of renewable resourceRenewable resource
A renewable resource is a natural resource with the ability of being replaced through biological or other natural processes and replenished with the passage of time...
s, etc. Efforts involve methodologies such as life cycle assessment
Life cycle assessment
A life-cycle assessment is a technique to assess environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product's life from-cradle-to-grave A life-cycle assessment (LCA, also known as life-cycle analysis, ecobalance, and cradle-to-grave analysis) is a technique to assess environmental impacts...
to inventory the all environmental impacts and factors.
There are many Sustainability metrics and indices
Sustainability metrics and indices
Sustainable development indicators have the potential to turn the generic concept of sustainability into action. Though there are disagreements among those from different disciplines , these disciplines and international organizations have each offered measures or indicators of how to measure the...
, some specifically for packaging.
See also
- LandfillLandfillA landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
- WasteWasteWaste is unwanted or useless materials. In biology, waste is any of the many unwanted substances or toxins that are expelled from living organisms, metabolic waste; such as urea, sweat or feces. Litter is waste which has been disposed of improperly...
- Curbside collection
- RecyclingRecyclingRecycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
- LitterLitterLitter consists of waste products such as containers, papers, wrappers or faeces which have been disposed of without consent. Litter can also be used as a verb...
- Packaging and labeling
- Source reductionSource reductionSource reduction refers to any change in the design, manufacture, purchase, or use of materials or products to reduce their amount or toxicity before they become municipal solid waste.- Synonyms :...
- EnvironmentalismEnvironmentalismEnvironmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
- Waste managementWaste managementWaste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal,managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics...
- GreenwashGreenwashGreenwashing , or "green sheen", is a form of spin in which green PR or green marketing is deceptively used to promote the perception that a company's policies or products are environmentally friendly.-Usage:...
- Triple bottom lineTriple bottom lineThe triple bottom line captures an expanded spectrum of values and criteria for measuring organizational success: economic, ecological, and social...
- Sustainability brandSustainability brandSustainability brands are products and services that are branded to signify a special added value in terms of environmental and social benefits to the customer and thus enable the differentiation from competitors...
- Sustainable packagingSustainable packagingSustainable packaging is the development and use of packaging which results in improved sustainability. At the end stage of design it involves increased use of life cycle inventory and life cycle assessment to help guide the use of packaging which reduces the environmental impact and ecological...
- Life Cycle AssessmentLife cycle assessmentA life-cycle assessment is a technique to assess environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product's life from-cradle-to-grave A life-cycle assessment (LCA, also known as life-cycle analysis, ecobalance, and cradle-to-grave analysis) is a technique to assess environmental impacts...
- Carrying capacityCarrying capacityThe carrying capacity of a biological species in an environment is the maximum population size of the species that the environment can sustain indefinitely, given the food, habitat, water and other necessities available in the environment...
- ConsumerismConsumerismConsumerism is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts. The term is often associated with criticisms of consumption starting with Thorstein Veblen...
- Ethical ConsumerEthical ConsumerEthical Consumer is a not-for-profit UK magazine and , founded in 1989, which publishes information on the social, ethical and environmental behaviour of companies and issues around trade justice and ethical consumerism. It defines its mission as to "promote universal human rights, environmental...
, the UK's leading alternative consumer organisation - Anti-consumerismAnti-consumerismAnti-consumerism refers to the socio-political movement against the equating of personal happiness with consumption and the purchase of material possessions...
- Fair tradeFair tradeFair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
- Green brandsGreen brandsGreen brands are those brands that consumers associate with environmental conservation and sustainable business practices.Such brands appeal to consumers who are becoming more aware of the need to protect the environment. A green brand can add a unique selling point to a product and can boost...
- Socially responsible investingSocially responsible investingSocially responsible investing , also known as sustainable, socially conscious, or ethical investing, describes an investment strategy which seeks to consider both financial return and social good....
Further reading
Books- Jedlicka, W, "Packaging Sustainability: Tools, Systems and Strategies for Innovative Package Design", (Wiley, 2008), ISBN 978-0470246696
- Soroka, W, "Fundamentals of Packaging Technology", IoPP, 2002, ISBN 1-930268-25-4\
- S.,Sterling, "Field Guide to Sustainable Packaging", 2008
- Packaging Sustainability http://PackagingSustainability.info
- Yam, K. L., "Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology", John Wiley & Sons, 2009, ISBN 978-0-470-08704-6
- Azzato, Maureen, "Facilitating the Use of Recycled Content in Packaging" http://www.greenretaildecisions.com/news/2010/09/30/facilitating-the-use-of-recycled-content-in-packaging
- Calver, G., What Is Packaging Design, Rotovision. 2004, ISBN 2-88046-618-0.
- Leonard, E. A. (1996). Packaging, Marcel Dekker. ISBN 0-8247-9755-8.
- Opie, R., Packaging Source Book, 1991, ISBN 1555215114, ISBN 978-1555215118
- Robertson, G. L., "Food Packaging", 2005, ISBN 0849337755
- Selke, S., "Packaging and the Environment", 1994, ISBN 1566761042
- Selke, S,. "Plastics Packaging", 2004, ISBN 1569903727
- Stillwell, E. J, "Packaging for the Environment", A. D. Little, 1991, ISBN 0814450741
- Crawford, R.H. (2011) Life Cycle Assessment in the Built Environment, London: Taylor and Francis.
- J. Guinée, ed:, Handbook on Life Cycle Assessment: Operational Guide to the ISO Standards, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2002.
- Hendrickson, C. T., Lave, L. B., and Matthews, H. S. (2005). Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Goods and Services: An Input–Output Approach, Resources for the Future Press.
- Baumann, H. och Tillman, A-M. The hitchhiker's guide to LCA : an orientation in life cycle assessment methodology and application. 2004. ISBN 91-44-02364-2
- Curran, Mary A. "Environmental Life-Cycle Assessment", McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing, 1996, ISBN 978-0070150638
- Ciambrone, D. F. (1997). Environmental Life Cycle Analysis. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. ISBN 1-56670-214-3.
- Tierney, John. (1996). Recycling Is Garbage. The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. - Ackerman, Frank. (1997). Why Do We Recycle?: Markets, Values, and Public Policy. Island Press. ISBN 1-55963-504-5, 9781559635042
- Porter, Richard C. (2002). The economics of waste. Resources for the FutureResources for the FutureResources for the Future is a nonprofit organization that conducts independent research into environmental, energy, and natural resource issues, primarily via economics and other social sciences. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., RFF performs research around the world...
. ISBN 1-891853-42-2, 9781891853425 - Brave New World, Aldous Huxley, 1932. Shows how a society can be influenced by consumerism.
- Chin, Elizabeth (2001) Purchasing Power: Black Kids and American Consumer Culture University of Minnesota Press ISBN 978-0816635115
- Humphery, Kim (2009) Excess, Polity Press, Cambridge, UK. (Hardcover, 246 pages)
- Shell, Ellen RuppelEllen Ruppel ShellEllen Ruppel Shell is an American journalist, a correspondent for the Atlantic Monthly, and professor of science journalism at Boston University.-Biography:Shell was born in Auburn, New York, United States. In 1974, Shell received a B.A...
, Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture, New York : Penguin Press, 2009. ISBN 9781594202155 - Charles Arthur WillardCharles Arthur WillardCharles Arthur Willard is an American argumentation and rhetorical theorist.He received his doctorate at the University of Illinois, Urbana, USA, in 1972. From 1974 to 1982 he was the Director of Forensics at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire . He has lectured in Austria, Canada, France,...
Liberalism and the Problem of Knowledge: A New Rhetoric for Modern Democracy. University of Chicago Press. 1996. - Worldwatch InstituteWorldwatch InstituteThe Worldwatch Institute is a globally focused environmental research organization based in Washington, D.C. Worldwatch was named as one of the top ten sustainable development research organizations by Globescan Survey of Sustainability Experts.-Mission:...
, State of the World 2010: Transforming Cultures: From Consumerism to SustainabilityState of the World 2010: Transforming Cultures: From Consumerism to SustainabilityState of the World 2010: Transforming Cultures: From Consumerism to Sustainability is a book by Worldwatch Institute, published by W. W. Norton & Company...
(ISBN 978-0-393-33726-6), W. W. Norton & Company, 2010.
Journals
- John C. Ryan & Alan T. Durning, Stuff: The Secret Life of Everyday Things (Northwest Environmental Watch 1997).
- Susan Strasser, A Social History of Trash, (Orion Magazine, Autumn 2000).
- Luedicke, Marius K, Craig J. Thompson and Markus Giesler. 2010. "'Consumption as Moral Protagonism:' How Myth and Ideology Animate a Brand-Mediated Moral Conflict." Journal of Consumer Research. 36 (April): 00.