We supply approximately 300,000 SKUs of rope and chain accessories annually to over 350 DIY stores in Europe. We've switched our packaging from rigid plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) blisters to flexible plastic polyethylene (PE) bags and are curious about the life cycle assessment. With the support of KU Leuven, we conducted research into our environmental impact.
The old lifecycle began with the production of PET blisters and the use of electricity to fill them. The PET blisters and accessories were then shipped to Belgium, from where they were distributed by truck throughout Europe. For the current bags, we receive bulk accessories and fill German bags in our own production facility in Belgium, from where they are distributed by truck throughout Europe. Intuitively, the environmental impact will be significant; research shows the following facts:
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Sea transport is 11 times lower due to bulk imports.
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Switching to PE reduced the environmental impact from 72% to 28%.
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Energy consumption in production decreased from 92% to 8%.
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The impact of maritime transport decreased from 89% to 11%.
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The use of raw materials or consumption of energy carriers decreased from 86% to 14%.
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The bags' smaller volume and lower plastic content help reduce the number of trucks needed to deliver goods to retailers and reduce the amount of recycling required.
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Photochemical ozone formation has decreased dramatically. Consequently, human health in general has improved.
It's good to know we've made the right decisions, but perhaps we can go a step further. New projects are just around the corner. Research shows that:
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Replacing maritime transport with long-haul freight is not an option. Air freight has a much greater CO2 impact.
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And what about PE? The possibility of using bio-PE can be explored. Bio-PE causes less climate change than the use of synthetic PE. When switching to bio-PE, the contribution of PE decreases from 45% to 39%. Time to define the options and the consequences within the product life cycles.
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Packaging in Belgium requires a significant initial investment, which is recouped through lower transport costs.
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Eliminating packaging and selling in bulk can have a significant impact on the environment. However, bulk is not preferred: we provide information on the packaging, such as properties and materials, and bulk would be challenging to pay for at the checkout, etc.
This life cycle analysis has shown that our reshoring strategy is paying off. Local production is being systematically expanded. By relocating packaging operations to Belgium, we become less dependent on import flows and can respond more flexibly to market developments – benefits everywhere.
Interested in changing your environmental impact and introducing our concept in your store?
Explore our store options and contact us for more information.
