Sustainable Packaging Specification Recommendations for Automotive Operations
The Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) provides a forum for global automotive manufacturers and their suppliers to work together toward a shared vision of an automotive industry with positive environmental impact. SP’s Sustainable Packaging Work Group was established as a platform for companies from across the automotive value chain to collaborate to minimize automotive packaging waste and address barriers to packaging recyclability and/or reuse.
The work group has published the following guidance documents to provide straightforward industry-supported guidance to help automakers and their suppliers identify opportunities to design and source sustainable packaging designs for use in automotive manufacturing and service parts operations.
The guidance documents were produced through a collaborative process co-chaired by Magna International and Toyota Motor North America, including the review and input of automotive original equipment manufacturers such as Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Honda Development & Manufacturing America, Stellantis, Toyota Motor North America, tiered suppliers, packaging suppliers, and recyclers.
Going forward, the SP Sustainable Packaging Work Group intends to build on learnings from this process to promote further alignment on sustainable packaging practices within the automotive industry and identify targeted opportunities to improve packaging sustainability in support of industry sustainability goals. The guidance documents will continue to be reviewed on a regular basis.
*NEW* Sustainable Packaging Specification Recommendations for Automotive Expendable Packaging
Version 1.0, Last Updated: October 2023
A succinct set of practical recommendations to help automakers and suppliers identify opportunities to design and source sustainable packaging designs for use in expendable packaging applications. Expendable packaging is most commonly used in service parts operations in the automotive industry. Service parts are defined as replacement parts manufactured to OEM specifications which are procured or released by the OEM for service part applications. Expendable packaging could also be used for international shipping and as backup for returnable packaging, when needed.
This document builds on and is designed to align with established SP sustainable packaging guidelines for automotive manufacturing operations.
Sustainable Packaging Specification Recommendations for Automotive Manufacturing Operations
Version 2.0, Last Updated: May 2022
A succinct set of practical recommendations to help automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers source sustainable packaging designs for use in automotive manufacturing operations. These recommendations focus on opportunities to minimize automotive packaging waste and address barriers to recyclability in the design phase.
Newly added in the 2022 version of the guidance document is information on the viable recyclability of 35 different packaging material types and designs commonly used in the automotive industry in the United States. The guidance also includes new information on common packaging attachment methods that can be detrimental to recycling, as well as information on alternative designs that do have more viable outlets for recycling in key automotive regions.
Recyclability of Common Automotive Packaging Materials in U.S.
The guidance document includes information on the viable recyclability of common packaging materials / designs used in the automotive industry in the United States. This information is intended to help support consideration of opportunities to minimize automotive packaging waste and address barriers to recyclability in the design phase, where possible.
Key Definitions
- Viably Recycled. For the purposes of this guidance, a material is considered to be viably recycled where established systems are in place with capability to technically, and economically, recycle the material in major automotive operating regions in the United States. To be considered economically sustainable, the material must have a market value that typically meets or exceeds the cost to collect, transport and process the material for recycling. Consideration of materials that can be processed into resin for use back into the same or similar application is typically preferred where possible, however materials that are downcycled for use in other industries may be suitable where economically sustainable recycling systems exist.
- Detrimental to Recycling. For the purposes of this guidance, packaging materials or designs that require separation or other pre-processing in order to be acceptable into established recycling systems are considered to be detrimental. While the challenges presented by these materials can often technically be overcome, the additional time, labor and other costs required to do so may outweigh the recycling value thereby increasingly the likelihood that the material may be sent to landfill.
Acknowledgements: The above guidance documents were produced through a collaborative process by the Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) Sustainable Packaging Work Group.
The 2022 guidance for automotive manufacturing included input and review from representatives of Action Wood 360, AI Trading, ARPLANK Direct, Avangard Innovative, DENSO, Doug Brown Packaging Products, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Green Processing Company, Honda Development & Manufacturing America, JSP, Lear Corp, Magna International, Mustang Innovation, Primex Design & Fabrication, Real Quality Services, Stellantis, Toyota Motor North America, Toyota Tsusho America, and UGN. The 2022 project was co-chaired by Bridget Grewal, Magna International; and, Matt Marshall, Toyota Motor North America, and facilitated by Kellen Mahoney, SP.
The 2023 guidance for automotive service parts included contributions from companies such as companies such as, Absortech, Action Wood 360, Aicello, Armor Protective Packaging, Arplank Direct, Cellulose Material Solutions, Cortec Corporation, Covanta, Cummins, Decade Products, Doug Brown Packaging Products, ERA Environmental, ExpandOS, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Goodpack, Green Current Solutions, Green Processing Company, Honda Development & Mfg. America, Indigo Packaging, IPAK, Labelmaster, JSP, Magna International, MPS Group, Mustang Innovation, ORBIS Corporation, P2 Packaging, Pratt Industries, Primex, Real Quality Services, RecycleMax, Robert Bosch, Schaefer Plastics North America, Stellantis, The Royal Group, TriEnda, Toyota Motor North America, Toyota Tsusho America, VMX International, and Worldwide Foam. The 2023 project was co-chaired by Bridget Grewal, Magna International; and, Matt Marshall, Toyota Motor North America, and facilitated by Kellen Mahoney, SP.
Disclaimer: This document is intended to provide information for automakers, their suppliers and the general public on sourcing sustainable packaging designs. The information included in this document is based on the professional judgment of the individual authors and reviewers and may be used at a company’s discretion. SP and its member companies make no warranty, expressed or implied, and assume no liability for any form of damage that may result from the application of the information contained in this document.
Contact: Please submit any feedback on this guidance or suggestions for future improvements to info@supplierspartnership.org.