Electronic Parts/Guidelines - infoHouse

9.0 Other Guidelines for Environmental Packaging
9.1 Introduction
Because of the increased awareness of solid waste disposal issues, the delivery and installation of
IBM products can cause a concern with iBM's customers. That Is. what should be done with the dis-
carded packaging material? The boxes, CUShiOning, film, pallets, strapping, etc., which allowed the
products to arrive damage-free, once unpacked, can be perceived as a contribution to the solid waste
problem.
This perception Is, of course, related to the amount of post-consumer packaging material. Small
systems, resulting in a few boxes and some cushioning are not usually seen as a problem. In fact,
many customers retain these materials for later use (e.@, relocation of the system).
Regardless of the size of any particular system, the overall volume of products IBM delivers worlawide
does produce a considerable amount of post-consumer packaging material which becomes part of the
solid waste stream. Understanding this, the IBM packaging community has an obligation to minimize
the concerns our customers may have with packaging material disposal to the extent possible.
9.2 Package Design
The obvious place to begin an assessment of packaging as a disposal concern is in the area of design.
Several trade associations (IoPP, etc.) and environmental task groups have developed guidelines for
packaging design which they consider effective as a means to solid waste minimization. While none of
the guidelines available provide product specific or "cook-book" detail for package design, they do
present a well considered approach to packaging requirements development, which a packaging
designer can translate into more environmentally friendly products.
The Coalition of Northeastern Governors (CONEG) Source Reduction Task Force has developed and
published a manual for preferred packaging practices. The manual is viewed as a first step in an
awareness approach to packaging source reduction. The following is an excerpt from the final report
of the Source Reduction Task Force.
An Overriding barrier to source reduction identified by the Task Force Is the inadequate consideration
given by Industry, government and consumers to the solid waste management impacts of packaging.
Package design and production decisions by industry, regulatory and procurement policies of govern-
ment and PUrChaSing decisions of consumers -- all have contributed to the mounting garbage crisis
confronting the Northeast region. Yet if each of these players better understood the relationship of
their actions to the management of solid waste, the generation and environmental impact of packaging
could be reduced.
To obtain a copy of the Preferred Packaging Manual write
The CONEG Policy Research Center, Inc
400 North Capital Street NW Suite 382
Washington D. C. 20001
To be most effective, source reduction initiatives must be based upon a system of quantifiable goals
and standards. Developing such a system will require considerable thought and a thorough examina-
tion of the many issues involved in assigning measurable, numerical goals and timeframes to achieve
reductions in the generation of packaging waste
Gther Guldellnes for Environmental Packaglng 69