The Global Protocol for Packaging Sustainability (GPPS) standard has been launched by GS1.
Developed by and not for profit standards body GS1 and the Consumer Goods Forum that includes members such as Boots, Carrefour, Tesco and Unilever, the GPPS includes more than 40 environmental, economic and social indicators for packaging sustainability.
It provides the consumer goods and packaging industries with a common language to discuss and assess packaging sustainability.
GPPS metrics will now be part of a trade item’s product information that is available on GS1’s Global Data Synchronisation Network (GDSN).
Through using GSDN, trading partners will be able to access sustainability data about product packaging.
As a result of the standard, packaging will be designed holistically with the product optimised for overall environmental performance.
Unilever chief executive Paul Polman said: “One of the strengths of this project is how it has brought together so many companies and organisations from across our industry to work collectively on developing this common language.
“Now we need to put the language to work. We are already doing so in Unilever and we are seeing the benefit.”
GS1 chief executive Miguel Angel Lopera said: “GS1 is totally committed to supporting the drive for sustainable consumption and production.
“It has been a real pleasure to collaborate with the CGF to deliver an open global standard for an efficient and cost-effective way of exchanging vital data about packaging to optimise the resources used to protect consumer goods.
“This project is a real example of a partnership working to meet a critical need, and I believe it augurs well for addressing product sustainability in a similar manner.”
