National indicators for material efficiency and waste minimization for the Norwegian packaging sector 1995-2001

The Packaging Directive approved by EU in 1994 (62/94) initiated national activities regarding packaging waste minimization, recycling and energy recovery. In Norway, a packaging covenant between the Ministry of Environment and the packaging sector was established, where one of the elements was a voluntary program for reducing waste from the total packaging sector, defined as all the users of packaging materials in Norway. Ostfold Research Foundation has developed an indicator system to follow development in material efficiency and waste minimization in the packaging sector. The indicator system is based on an Eco-efficiency approach, with measurements of packaging consumption per 1000 NOK turnover in companies adjusted for changing in the total consumer price index. A total of about 40 companies from 15 sectors of packers and fillers have participated with data over 3 years (1998-2001), whereas two companies have been followed over a period of 6 years (1995-2001). In addition, two product groups (juice and lemonade) have been followed within a large share of the Norwegian market in the period 1995-2001. The results show minor changes in the total packaging sector over the four last years, with a reduction in intensity of consumer packaging and a parallel increase in intensity of retail and transport packaging. However, there seems to have been achieved significant efficiency gains in the two companies in the period 1995-1998, and also in the distribution of concentrated lemonade. The indicator system which is based on a representative sample of companies within economic important sectors in Norway is regarded as a promising approach for measuring material efficiency and waste minimization in national packaging sectors, and could be implemented on an European basis to follow up the Packaging Directive. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.