Viscount Plastics RTP is green!

Viscount Plastics RTP is green! Far greener than single-trip cardboard.

Viscount Plastics is at the forefront of Returnable Transit Packaging (RTP) in New Zealand, supplying a wide range of off-the-shelf, multi-trip plastic crates, bins, trays and pallets. Viscount also has the resources and capabilities to custom-manufacture RTP solutions. (Returnable Plastic Packaging - RTP - describes multi-trip, reusable plastic crates, bins, trays and pallets that worldwide are replacing one-trip cardboard transit packaging).

First of its kind research now proves RTP’s product carbon footprint (PCF) to be much smaller than singletrip cardboard cartons. Product carbon footprint (PCF) is a measurement of Greenhouse Gas emissions over a product’s life cycle and its contribution to global warming.


Question:
Does multi-trip plastic RTP of the type typically available from Viscount Plastics, provide a more environmentally favourable carbon footprint than single-trip cardboard cartons?


Answer:

Absolutely, according to UK sustainability consultancy, Sustain, who accepted the challenge of comparing the two modes of containment and distribution on a fair and consistent basis. Sustain’s credentials include a major contribution to developing the PAS 2050 specification, the first recognised standard for measuring the embodied greenhouse gas emissions from products and services for the whole of their life cycle. This takes into account all the raw materials, transport and energy use involved in manufacture, usage and disposal. It is anticipated that PAS 2050 will become an integral part of any future International Standard.


The Facts:
Based on a usable life of 92 return trips over 5 years, plastic’s carbon footprint is less than 30 CO2e kg per unit. Using the same measuring criteria, cardboard’s carbon footprint is around 70 CO2e kg per unit. What this means is plastic RTP has a footprint close to 70% less than single trip cardboard cartons. And that makes plastic RTP much greener than single-trip cardboard.


Environmental and Cost Benefits of RTP: 


  • Replacing single-trip cardboard cartons with plastic RTP, on average pays for itself after just 12 return trips (with a usable life of at least 92 return trips).
  • RTP saves capital and environmental costs of single-trip cardboard disposal. Currently in New Zealand waste cardboard is collected for incineration, contributing to carbon emissions, or dumping which places landfill capacities under more pressure. Collection and disposal creates a large carbon footprint.
  • At the end of their service life, Viscount crates, bins and trays can be recycled to make further RTP products.
  • Viscount Plastics is constantly advancing. The new generation deep nesting Recrate range was designed out of the desire from customers to more efficiently transport empty crates. When the Fruit Case Company, an early RTP adopter, made the change to the new crate, return transport costs and storage space required were both halved through doubling the empty crates on each pallet. Viscount’s innovation is delivering cost savings all along the distribution chain.
  • Collapsible RTP plastic bulk bins supplied by Viscount Plastics have delivered major savings to NZ Post over traditional steel mesh mail distribution bins.
  • RTP products in the Viscount range include retail-ready crates and bins for use at point-of-sale, saving handling and labour costs of product transfer. RTP can also take product from field to shop floor.


Take a step to limit the environmental impact of your business’s carbon footprint. Contact Viscount Plastics for a no-cost appraisal of the costs and distribution benefits of plastic RTP.

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