Following the launch of the ground-breaking Open 3P standard for plastic packaging data, the project has secured additional funding from Innovate UK for Phase 2 work to expand the standard and develop a data-sharing platform.
The Open 3P standard provides a common framework to help all the stakeholders involved in manufacturing, selling and recycling plastic packaging to share data with regulators and government agencies, as well as with each other.
The project launched in September 2022 with the ultimate aim to lower the environmental footprint of plastic packaging. It is being developed through a collaborative effort between project partners Dsposal, OPRL, Open Data Manchester, RECOUP and Ecosurety.
During the next phase of the project the Open 3P standard is being expanded to cover all packaging materials – including glass, metals, paper and wood – as well as the development of a user-friendly, real-time data-sharing platform for the packaging value chain.
Improving accuracy, coverage and accessibility
The data platform will revolutionise the way most packaging data is collected and shared by going to the source, speeding up the process and improving accuracy. Material and packaging manufacturers will be able to upload and share data about their packaging materials, format and components so that retailers, brands and other stakeholders in the value chain can easily analyse, manage and report on their packaging data.
The Open 3P data-sharing platform will go beyond the new Extended Producer Responsibility requirements and will help organisations to understand the makeup of the packaging in their supply chain as well as see wider industry trends and patterns.
Make packaging more sustainable
Sophie Walker, CEO of Dsposal and Project Lead for the second phase explained “With the new packaging Extended Producer Responsibility legislation requiring organisations to collect and share more detailed data on the packaging they put onto the market in place from the 1st January 2023, the need for the data standard was clear."
"But it is not just about making compliance and reporting easier and more accurate. Being able to share data across the packaging supply chain supports the broader drive to make packaging more sustainable and increase high quality recycling. In developing Open 3P, we’ve had a lot of support and engagement with organisations ranging from chemical manufacturers to retailers, packaging manufacturers and recyclers.
Jamie Riley, Berry’s UK Sustainability Lead commented “Berry Global is delighted to have been a major supporter and collaborator in this project. With increased environmental legislation as well as strong consumer demand for sustainable solutions, the need for transparent and robust reporting has never been greater. Companies from across many sectors will therefore benefit greatly from this platform.”
“The project’s aims are also fully aligned with Berry’s own sustainability objectives and the wider need for a more collaborative approach to drive towards a more sustainable and environmentally aware manufacturing industry.”
Informed by user feedback
Jude Allan Chair IOM3 Packaging Group commented, “This is such a brilliant project; reliable packaging data has never been so important. This second phase extending the project beyond plastic packaging to all materials across all packaging sectors will make a real difference to the understanding of the whole packaging value chain.”
Luke Wilson, Compliance and data services director at Ecosurety commented "Ecosurety is proud to support the Open 3P project in its ambitions to bring a more transparent data-led view on the packaging put into the UK marketplace."
The development of the platform will be extensively informed by user feedback over the coming months to ensure it meets industry needs and will also enable data to be shared with recyclers and reprocessors to help improve identification and sorting of packaging waste and increase recycling rates.
Please click here to find out more about the next phase of Open 3P.
