Signatory Name: Integria Healthcare (Australia) Pty Ltd The question numbers in this report refer to the numbers in the report template. t all questions are displayed in this report. Status: Completed The content in this APC Annual Report is hereby endorsed by the Chief Executive Officer, or equivalent officer of the organisation. 5. Industry sector (please select 1 only): Brand Owner / Wholesaler / Retailer Packaging Manufacturer Waste Management Other - Commercial Organisation Community Group Industry Association Government Raw Material Supplier Other: 6. Industry type (please select 1 only): Food & Beverage Pharmaceutical / Personal Care / Medical Hardware Homewares Communications / Electronics Clothing / Footwear / Fashion Chemicals / Agriculture Fuel Large Retailer Tobacco Shipping Company Airline Other: 7. Please indicate your organisation's reporting period: Financial Year: 1 July 2012 30 June 2013 Calendar Year: 1 January 2013 31 December 2013
Goal 1: Design KPI 1: % of signatories with documented policies and procedures for evaluating and procuring packaging using the SPGs or equivalent. 8. Does your company have documented policies and procedures for evaluating and procuring packaging using the SPGs or equivalent? Provide details of policies and procedures During new product development Integria Healthcare (Australia) Pty Ltd utilises a number of checklists and documents to ensure all relevant data is complied for product launches and refreshes, the internal SPG checklist has been developed and implemented as part of this process. Documents pertinent include the Product Launch Plan which encapsulates the completed SPG checklist. Additionally specific SPG checklists have been developed for marketing materials and for packaging suppliers, which focus further on these specific types of packaging/marketing collateral. 9. Of the types of packaging existing at the beginning of the reporting period, what percentage had been reviewed using the Sustainable Packaging Guidelines (SPG) by the end of the reporting period? 10. Have any new types of packaging been introduced during the reporting period? 1 60 % If yes, of the new types of packaging introduced during the reporting period, what percentage have been reviewed using the Sustainable Packaging Guidelines (SPG) by the end of the reporting 100 % 12. Please indicate your progress this year towards achieving your annual targets and milestones for KPI 1 2. Develop SPG checklist/s, and incorporate into SOPs for NPD and review of existing packaging Review all NPD and refreshed products against Sustainable Packaging Guidelines Completed and implemented the SPG checklists as part of the NPD process - June 2012. 100% of new products and refreshed products have been evaluated using the SPG checklist. Some milestones include the following: reduction in shrink wrap used, increased focus on fill level trials to ensure minimal packaging was used, completed SPG checklist documents now form part of Product Launch Plans. 3. 4. Review 100% of all existing packaging and Point of Sale material against the Sustainable Packaging Guidelines checklist by 2015 Consolidate different types of primary packaging items used in manufacture Shipping cartons complete Primary containers (glass and plastic bottles) complete POS complete Inner display cartons and trays complete Blister Packs are set to be eradicated from ranges, in an effort to further standardise packaging formats Labels strategy defined - implementation on track The predefined strategy has been implemented, resulting in a consolidated packaging range. The Action Plan had set specific targets for % decreases in packaging formats which has been exceeded overall.
13. Describe any constraints or opportunities that affected performance under this KPI During execution of the packaging rationalisation strategy, some constraints were felt, meaning that two primary packaging items set to be eliminated from the packaging portfolio remain. This was deemed necessary to allow a point of differentiation between economy and premium products. Other opportunities have been investigated in order to remain on par with consolidation targets, and additional rationalisation to blister packs and some closures has seen an overall 24% decrease in the number of packaging formats that will be consumed by the business moving forward. Goal 2: Recycling KPI 3: % signatories applying on-site recovery systems for used packaging. 14. Do you have on-site recovery systems for recycling used packaging? at all facilities/ sites at some, but not all facilities/ sites 15. Please indicate your progress this year towards achieving your annual targets and milestones for KPI 3 Conduct waste audit with the aim of reducing the amount of recyclables in the general waste stream Waste audit conducted. Established plastics and cardboard bailers, waste segregation, printer cartridge recycling, co-mingled recycling facilities (where available), significant reduction in waste to landfill across manufacturing sites. 16. Describe any constraints or opportunities that affected performance under this KPI Restraints encountered in regional areas where processing facilities or local rules limited access to services. Brisbane office waste facilities are managed by the landlord, and whilst we could segregate waste internally, there is no facility for the waste to be deposited into by cleaners. Packaging is not consumed at the Brisbane office, however there is a cardboard recycling bin, so when samples are received outer packaging can be recycled. On a distribution front, our 3PL logistics partner has received a silver partner recognition level under the Sustainability Advantage Program, facilitated by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage. This has further ensured that distribution of our products is managed in a sustainable fashion, and offered further opportunities for Integria Healthcare (Australia) Pty Ltd to work with its' partner to display product stewardship outcomes and learnings.
KPI 4: Signatories implement formal policy of buying packaging made from recycled products. 17. Does your company have a formal policy of buying packaging made from recycled packaging? Provide details of policies and procedures (including names of policies/ procedures) BUY RECYCLED POLICY. 18. Is this policy actively used? 19. Please indicate your progress this year towards achieving your annual targets and milestones for KPI 4 Develop buy recycled Policy for packaging materials Complete. Implementation of the policy has been actioned behind schedule, thus no acheivements can be reported for this reporting period. 20. Describe any constraints or opportunities that affected performance under this KPI Implementation constraints - primary packaging is required to be food grade, which significantly limits the use for recycled material. Opportunities are mostly found at tertiary level. Shelf ready packaging is required by some customers, and for functionality and strength, a percentage of kraft material is required within the board structure of these items. As implementation of the policy fell behind schedule, it cannot be reported that it was actively used during this reporting period. The intent of the policy was consciously considered in product and packaging development during this reporting period, particularly with regards to KPI 1 goal 2, KPI 6 goal 1 and 4, and KPI 7 goal Goal 3: Product Stewardship KPI 6: % signatories with formal processes to work collaboratively on packaging design and / or recycling. 2 Does your company have formal processes in place for collaborating with other companies or organisations on improved packaging designs and/or recycling which aims to reduce or eliminate waste? Provide details of policies and procedures (including names of policies/ procedures) All packaging suppliers have been provided the Supplier specific SPG checklist, their responses are reviewed upon receipt of the completed checklist, and opportunities investigated. When working with third party packers, each product under development is reviewed against the internal checklist and queries are sent to the packer to ensure that sustainability criteria are being met wherever possible. Fill level trials are often undertaken to ensure minimum required packaging is being used to facilitate a sustainable outcome and furthermore to ensure logistical parameters are maximised for efficiency. 22. Please indicate your progress this year towards achieving your annual targets and milestones for KPI 6 Develop formal processes for working with others to improve design and recycling of packaging Implemented the use of SPG checklists at NPD stage, and ensure a review of packaging against this is completed and documented. The output of this is captured in the Product Launch Plan.
2. Develop a plan for meeting with primary packaging suppliers Supplier communication letter and checklists have been supplied to all packaging suppliers. 3. Review arrangements with waste management partners Complete. Implementation of new equipment to facilitate recycling efforts and reduce waste to landfill is complete. Co-mingled recycling bins are now in place in all manufacturing plants and the Sydney office, the Ballina manufacturing plant has seen a 50% decrease in waste to landfill bin pick-ups and benefited from cost reductions also; moreover Ballina site now has 15 cardboard bails and 2 plastic bails collected every week. The Warwick site has introduced co-mingled recycling bins, however due to local restrictions and access to processing facilities has faced constraints relating to plastics and glass recycling. In an effort to maintain glass recycling, the site now delivers glass for recycling to the local partner, as pick-up services have been withdrawn. 4. Use reusable tertiary packaging where possible Reusable collapsible pall-e-cons are in use for bulk liquid transportation, these are returnable to supplier items. The bladders used within the pall-e-cons are now made from recyclable materials. The use of this type of tertiary packaging is an inclusion in the Buy Recycled Policy. 23. Describe any constraints or opportunities that affected performance under this KPI Opportunities are being investigated further in relation to 200L drums (galvanized) to find a suitable end of life. Liquid waste is now captured as taken away by our waste service provider at plant level, which diverts this waste from sewerage. Constraints have been noted in the Warwick plant due to regionality, and the Brisbane office is working with the property manager to find a solution to implementing co-mingle recycling facilities, as these are managed by the landlord rather than under our direct control. KPI 7: % signatories showing other Product Stewardship outcomes. 24. Please indicate your progress this year towards achieving your annual targets and milestones for KPI 7 Continue work with our suppliers to increase usage of recycled content packaging - carton level This has become part of day to day practice now during shipper development and change. Our primary carton supplier has advised a recycled board content of between 75.88% and 100% (excludes inks, glues and finishes). 2. 3. Introduce policy on 2 sided printing to reduce consumption of paper Inform both internal and external parties of our commitments to the Covenant, and educate where possible Complete and in place. Complete. Information available on APC and Integria Healthcare websites; communications sent to our supply base with regards to packaging; internal education under new SOPs; external education via meetings/interactions with suppliers which has proved to be a mutually beneficial process.
25. Since the beginning of the reporting period, has your company had any other outcomes related to product stewardship? If yes, please give examples of other product stewardship outcomes Printer cartridge recycling; plastic bailer @ Ballina; knowledge sharing on materials available for marketing collateral is promoting further interest in this area - the output of SPG reviews with suppliers; steel recycling. 3PL achievement of Silver Sustainability Advantage Partnership. 26. Describe any constraints or opportunities that affected performance under this KPI Implementation of the two sided printing policy was delayed due to pressing business need that consumed resources. However upon implementation, an additional 'default to black and white' print function has seen a reduction in consumption of coloured inks. KPI 8: Reductions in packaging items in the litter stream. 27. Please indicate your progress this year towards achieving your annual targets and milestones for KPI 8 Establish a process to audit and work internally and with external packers to introduce appropriate disposal symbols to packaging Process is in place at artwork creation/review stage. Internal education on appropriate symbol selection, defined set of rules for when to apply to artwork. 28. Describe any constraints or opportunities that affected performance under this KPI The inclusion of disposal symbols on labels has at times been constrained by available label area. The product ranges are in many instances governed by TGA and other regulations, and when label area is small, the disposal instructs can be subject to removal from artwork to ensure compliance to other regulations. Inner cartons and shippers do not have the aforementioned size constraint, and implementation has been successful to date. Your Experiences This section lets you share with us any achievements, good news stories and areas of difficulties in making progress against your plan and the Covenant goals and KPIs. 29. Key achievements or good news stories There has been an evolution to find an efficient and effect means process integration to ensure activities in the action plan could become a part of daily activities for all stakeholders. This has been beneficial from an education point of view, and has shown some fiscal benefits also. Additionally to this, working with others (product stewardship) has resulted in additional activities to be incorporated in the new plan, and some already complete which have been reported on under KPI 7. 30. Areas of difficulties in making progress against your plan, Covenant goals or KPIs A review of the Integria Healthcare (Australia) Pty Ltd Action plan has highlighted that some proposed targets were not aligned with business requirements, and some targets required refinement based on learnings from working with others. The outcome of which will result in the submission of a revised action plan to be submitted by June 30th 2014. This revised action plan will also detail changes to members of the APC team, and include additional activities that have been identified as opportunities as a result of reviews that have been undertaken to date.