Greiner Packaging UK & Ireland first to gain SSP and FSC Chain of Custody certification

Developed in conjunction with the BSI Flex 6228 Standard, SSP Certification provides an overall validation of the plastics packaging supply chain. This ensures that the required recycled content percentage can be traced and assured, from recyclers to manufacturers and retailers.

“From recyclers to manufacturers and brand owners, more and more elements of the supply chain are demanding ethical procurement of recycled plastics to meet customer demand,” says Sustainable Certifications Group (SCG) Senior Sustainability and Commercial Manager Andy Whyle.

“SCG manages, measures and monitors the whole supply chain, creating an evidence portfolio, with checks being made to validate material testing and in-process quality controls. Flex 6228 tests are used, for the plastics included in the standard, to create a material ‘fingerprint’. The combined findings are assessed, and when all requirements are met, the SCG Team award SSP Certification, clearly demonstrating legislation and customer conformance, such as UK Plastic Packaging Tax and ESG ethical procurement reporting.”

FSC Chain of Custody certification

Greiner Packaging UK & Ireland has also been awarded Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody certification – the first to awarded across Greiner Packaging’s 30 factories in 19 countries.

The Forest Stewardship Council is an independent, not for profit, non-governmental organization established to support environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests.

“Gaining FSC Chain of Custody certification means that our customers who wish to communicate their sustainable packaging choices can include the FSC logo on pack,” says Greiner Packaging UK & Ireland Sustainability & Innovation Manager Rachel Sheldon. “The FSC label provides a credible link between responsible production and consumption of forest products, enabling consumers and businesses to make purchasing decisions that benefit people and the environment as well as providing ongoing business value. Our K3 cardboard-plastic combination is one of the world’s most sustainable packaging solutions and having FSC Certification enables us to say: ‘This product has been made with wood from well-managed forests and we can prove it’.”

Investing in a sustainable future

“The SSP and FSC certifications come only three months after we announced that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has approved the decontamination process used at our factory in Dungannon, Northern Ireland, to recycle post‐consumer PET into food contact materials,” say Greiner Packaging UK & Ireland Quality Systems Lead Kathy Reid.

“We invested over £3,700,000 in our new PET decontamination and extrusion line to enable the use of more recycled materials in our market-leading packaging ranges. This is the latest step in our continued commitment to innovate, increase capacity and reduce our carbon footprint. Being able to prove that the food-safe plastic we use is sustainably sourced and that the cardboard is from responsibly managed forests further demonstrates our leadership in sustainable packaging.”