United Parcel Service is offering a new “green” service to its customer base, a system designed to assess shipment packaging based on environmental methodology and processes verified by Europe’s Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS), an inspection, verification, testing and certification company.
Under its new Eco Responsible Packaging Program, UPS will evaluate a customer’s packaging processes in three areas: damage prevention, right-sizing and packaging materials. UPS said it will then “score” the results,and those customers who meet the requirements can display the program’s logo on their shipment packaging.
“Our engineers have always directed our customers to use the right kind of packaging to protect their goods,” said Bob Stoffel, UPS’s senior vp-engineering, strategy, supply chain and sustainability. “Embedding environmental evaluation in day-to-day packaging decisions is a critical step to improving the stewardship and conservation of valuable resources for the future”
Stoffel added that responsible packaging obviously begins with protecting the contents; damaged goods not only frustrate the recipient but often lead to the need to remanufacture and reship, doubling the carbon footprint. Shrinking the size of the box means less material used and fewer assets needed to transport the package. Finally, using packing and shipping materials with a more sustainable profile is important for the environment, he said
This evaluation assesses the customer’s transport packaging systems and procedures, rather than product packaging found on retail shelves. Stoffel stressed. The contractual-based service is available to customers who commit to sustainable packaging solutions, with pricing determined on a project basis.
