By Martin Vedris
SYDNEY: LG Electronics has been recognised and rewarded for excellence in packaging waste management at Packaging Magazine’s inaugural Packaging Evolution Awards.
As winners in the Household Goods Packaging Category, LG was presented with a trophy at an awards breakfast at the Water’s Edge in Sydney last week.
Competing against industry players such as Assa Abloy, Dulux and Electrolux Home Products, LG demonstrated superiority in effective and responsible packaging waste management practices under the National Packaging Covenant (the guideline for industry self-regulation established in 1999).
Paul Jenkins, General Manager of Marketing LG Electronics Australia said LG’s win is testament to the company’s ongoing commitment to minimising impact on the environment through day to day business functions.
“LG‘s commitment extends to every level of the supply chain, from design, production and manufacture to distribution and disposal,” said Jenkins.
“Our aim is to be innovative in everything we do and therefore lead the evolution of producer responsibility in packaging.”
LG was acknowledged for taking responsibility beyond disposing of packaging effectively. LG demonstrated its commitment to conserving resources and facilitating the re-use and recycling of used packaging materials.
Some of LG’s achievements and award winning environmental packaging innovations include:
Design: developing cardboard pallets to replace traditional wood pallets.
Recycling: initiating a 2010 recycling plan which includes utilising packaging designs and materials with disposal and recycling characteristics; reusing cardboard and recycled packaging materials within LG’s spare parts division; forging relationships with organisations who accept packaging waste for re-use and recycling.
LG Electronics has also invested in a new packaging process through Eco-design, reducing wastage by up to 10 per cent this year. Eco-design continuously improves the recycling system in LG Electronics by up to 60 per cent.
Education: investing in internal and external education, and encouraging staff to support the recycling program; displaying the recycling logo on products and manuals to promote recycling to consumers; communicating LG’s commitment to reducing waste to retail clients through the trade function.
Research: researching new and innovative ways to recycle and reuse redundant products and excess packaging; working with environmental counterparts in Korea and China to share information on strategies to reduce waste.
Disposal: contracting waste disposal company, Collex PTY LTD to collect waste; detailing stationary, packaging and equipment purchasing criteria in LG’s ‘Green Purchasing Guidelines’ – suppliers must meet these requirements by providing information about the biodegradability of their products, the content of stationary and commitment to retrieving excess packaging as appropriate.
LG stated that the company aspires to influence others to review their packaging in terms of saving resources, using recycled materials and minimising landfill.