Packaging Optimisation Principles for CO2 and Cost Efficient Supply Chains

Purpose and goal

The purpose was to develop knowledge and decision support that guides decision-makers in the automotive industry to make decisions that provide cost and environmentally efficient packaging solutions for material supply. The project developed guidelines, expressed as principles, that guide packaging decisions based on minimizing cost and CO2. The guidelines are described in a framework that integrates seven studies. These highlight strategic (e.g. circular flows) and operational packaging decisions (e.g. barriers to cooperation on packaging decisions) and their effects.

Expected results and effects

The project develops current knowledge about industrial packaging through tools for packaging decisions and guiding principles for strategic and operational packaging decisions for cost and CO2-efficient material supply. The results present high level of details for the principles and emphasise their relationships to each other in a theoretical framework. The automotive companies can take better informed packaging decisions, e.g., packaging requirements documents, packaging instructions and systematically optimize packaging solutions in material flows.

Planned approach and implementation

The project had five work packages (WP) with a total of seven studies. The work included refinement of analysis tools, data collection, case studies, interviews, literature review, data analysis and workshops. AP1 synthesised and disseminated results in an iterative process. The researchers compiled and interpreted the results of the studies in relation to each other and to theoretical frameworks. Insights and drafts were agreed with the project members and other company representatives to verify interpretations, gain new perspectives and make the results applicable.