This book is an in-depth appraisal of the key environmental, policy, legislative and political issues for packaging and packaged products.

In examining the most important public and political issues concerning packaging, policy and the environment today, Levy and his group of international experts discuss responses and activities in different parts of the world.

Covers critical topics such as:

• integrated product policy and sustainable development
• impact of legislative developments and economic instruments
• life cycle assessment of packaging
• recovery and recycling of materials
• integrated solid waste management
• packaging and environmental policies in countries throughout the world

Packaging, Policy and the Environment explores the vital and essential role that environmentally responsible packaging must play in all societies.

Contents

1. Introduction: Packaging, Policy and the Environment
   The packaging problem or the problem with packaging
   European packaging legislation
   Sustainable development
   Integrated product policy
   Producer responsibility
   Packaging policies - From convergence and incongruity to coalescence

2. Packaging's Role in Society
   Early packaging
   Packaging for preservation
   The supermarket revolution
   Types of packaging
   The functions of packaging
   Product losses through spoilage
   The costs of packaging
   Packaging reflects a changing lifestyle

3. Packaging in the Environment: Perceptions and Realities
   The perseverence of myths and the dismissal of facts
   Perceptions ar the reality
   Getting comparable and consistend data
   Interpreting the facts
   Environmental costs and burdens
   Recycling - Superceding the facts
   Realities
   A business issue
   Legislation
   A necessity not an option

4. Communicating with Consumers about Packaging
   Consumer awareness of environmental concerns
   Consumer views on packaging
   Why consumers do not trust industry
   industry communication and action

5. Packaging and Environmental Legislation: The United States
   U.S. Regulation of solid waste disposal
   Federal policy on recycling
   State and local regulation of packaging content
   Environmental advertising and labeling
   Control of toxic substances in packaging

6. Packaging and Environmental Legislation: The European Community
   European Community environmental policy and regulation
   Packaging and packaging waste in the context of European Community environmental legislation
   European community environmental legislation on packaging
   Other European Community legislation affecting packaging Overview of national measures

7. Managing the Environmental Impacts of Packaging Manufacture
   The role of the modern packaging manufacturer
   Materials and processes
   Review of processes
   Environmental management and organization
   Categorization of packaging environmental impacts
   Identification and control of manufacturing impacts
   Communication

8. Life Cycle Assessment of Packaging
   The role of LCA in the environmental management toolbox
   Why use Life Cycle Assessment? - The fundamental dilemma
   Current status of Life Cycle Assessment
   The parts of a Life Cycle Assessment
   Using LCA for packaging
   Life Cycle Assessment of packaging in practice - A case study
   Using LCA to optimize packaging and solid waste management systems
   Use of LCA in policy making

9. Packaging Recovery and Recycling Policy in Practice
   What is waste?
   The critical factors of recovery and recycling
   Integrated waste management - Implementation of an integrated systems approach to waste management
   The continuous optimization of waste management and recovery
   Rethinking European waste policy and the P&PWD
   What is ERRA, the European Recovery and Recycling Assocation

10. Packaging and Environmental Policies: North America
    Solid waste - Key packaging issues
    Priorities
    Action and attitudes
    Summary and implications

11. Packaging and Environmental Policies: Europe
    Background to the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive
    Legal base of Directive
    Key elements of the EU Directive 94/62/EC
    Meeting packaging recovery and recycling targets
    Defining producer responsibility
    Packaging taxes
    LCA in EU packaging policy
    Beyond the European Union
    The new millennium
    EUROPEN - The European Organization for Packaging and the Environment

12. Packaging and Environmental Policies: Japan
    The Japanese packaging industry and its special features
    Current status of energy saving in packaging materials
    Packaging and the environment

13. Packaging and Environmental Policies: Australia
    An evolving regulatory framework Regulating for recycling
    The New Zealand experience
    A new national framework
    Recycling in perspective
    Other issues for the packaging sector

14. Packaging and Environmental Policies: Brazil
    Background
    Key issues
    Actions and attitudes
    Trends and implications

15. Packaging and Environmental Policies: South Africa
    Overview of the South African packaging industry
    The environment
    Packaging materials
    Core of the problem with waste
    Legislation
    The Packaging Council of South Africa (PACSA)

Index

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