Automotive Packaging: Facing up to the challenge of environmental legislation

Odette has a long history of bringing industry companies together to develop specifications, best practice recommendations and digital tools to manage automotive packaging and concern about the impact of the upcoming PPWR led us to organise an Automotive Packaging Workshop in Berlin immediately following the Odette Conference in that city in November 2023.

Workshop participants, including OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers and Packaging Manufacturers, explored a wide range of automotive packaging challenges and identified a number, mostly related to returnable packaging, which could be more easily met by collaborative action under the auspices of Odette, including:

- Methodology for deciding between rigid and folding in terms of cost versus carbon footprint
- Methodology and technology for asset tracking
- Reduction in number of different footprints to make sharing easier, via packaging pools
- Encouraging re-use via specialist platforms for exchange or sale
- Possible standardisation of packaging accessories

It was agreed, however, that a new Odette Packaging Group should be formed with an immediate focus on the challenges posed by the forthcoming PPWR, particularly the increased requirement for data collection and reporting and the need for new marking and labelling.

The group will subsequently develop an Odette Guideline to help automotive companies to identify and fulfil their specific responsibilities under PPWR.

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