SP Sustainable Packaging Work Group
working to move the automotive industry towards a circular materials economy.
SP’s Sustainable Packaging Work Group is working to minimize automotive packaging waste and address barriers to packaging recyclability / reuse.
Many different packaging materials are currently used in the automotive industry to ship parts damage free through the supply chain. Returnable containers are a staple in the automotive industry for domestic shipments, and the outer container is generally recycled or reused after the life of the program. The internal plastic dunnage – including materials such as cross-link foams, plastic films, and other low-weight plastics – however can be more challenging due to factors such as mixed material compositions and challenges in economically collecting and transporting these materials from automotive facilities to recyclers. Considering the scale and volume of materials moving through the automotive supply chain, the potential to recapture a higher percentage of these plastic dunnage materials presents a meaningful opportunity.
The work group is bringing together automakers, tiered suppliers, packaging suppliers, and recyclers / repurposes to develop, communicate and expand straightforward industry-supported guidance to help automakers and their suppliers source more sustainable packaging designs and to explore new opportunities to support the development of viable cyclical material recovery processes for automotive dunnage materials.
