a charter of trust for a new age
At the heart of Pack2Go Europe will be guiding principles that will be applied by members, manufacturers of packaging for food and drinks consumed on-the-go. In due course, members may also have the possibility to make use of a “quality mark” in their commercial communications to show that they adhere to the Pack2Go Europe code of conduct for responsible manufacturers.
The Pack2Go guiding principles have been developed in 2008 by the association’s members, and is still in progress.The founding Guiding principles have been adopted in Brussels on 13 November 2009.
The guiding principles will be fully documented so that its implementation can be easily checked, and that the values and behaviour of our member companies can be established and verified on an ongoing basis. This requires demonstrable commitment by our members.
By applying the guiding principles, Pack2Go Europe member companies will show that they are committed to thinking through the health, safety and environmental aspects of the packaging they manufacture for food and drinks consumed on-the-go and factoring that into design and production. We also want Europeans to be reassured that the packs we manufacture are environmentally sound, safe in every way, ethically produced and that end-of-life systems and processes have been properly provided for once they have been used.
Combined with better information about the role and benefits of our products as part of today’s lifestyles, we hope the
guiding principles will be a counterbalance
to the growing use of packaging products in today’s society where we
eat and drink more and more frequently on-the-go.
Pack2Go Europe Guiding Principles Food and beverages packaged for consumption on-the-go
are vital to today’s active lifestyles. These products are consumed every day
by millions of people across the globe, allowing them to live the way they
want. Packaging for food-on-the-go thus enables modern lifestyles providing safety
and hygiene, comfort and convenience. Manufacturers of convenience packaging for food-on-the-go are forward-looking,
providers of innovative packaging products and solutions which provide the
choice, convenience and functionality that Europeans demand. Like any product, packaging for food-on-the-go can have an impact on the
environment. Leaders of the industry gathered in Pack2Go Europe are committed
to making measurable, documented progress in reducing this impact. Members of Pack2Go Europe will abide by a set of guiding principles and a
series of commitments agreed among them and made publicly available. Operational
Standards Pack2Go Europe expects its Member to practice and
promote high professional standards in carrying out its business and in its
relationships with other Members, suppliers, customers, stockholders and other
associations. The operational standards laid down in these Guiding Principles
relate to the business and social responsibilities of the members, and the
specific commitments of Members relate to the features of the products they
sell and the impact of their operations on the environment. Ensuring the
safety of our plants and of our products Members of Pack2Go Europe are committed to: providing
safe and healthy working conditions for their employees in line with relevant
guidelines recommended by the International Labour Organisation and as required
by local laws; banning any practice of forced, compulsory or child labor in
their own plants or (through relevant supplier policies) the plants of their
suppliers; promoting the safe design, use and handling of their products; and
complying with laws relating to the protection of the environment. Members of
Pack2Go Europe treat each employee with equality, respect and dignity. They
meet or exceed the laws, rules and regulations in the countries in which they
operate. Members are expected to promote these goals in carrying out their
business.
Conducting
our business with integrity Our standards imply a commitment of Members of Pack2Go
Europe to act with integrity and with respect for the many people,
organizations and environments, in which it carries out its business, and to
comply with the laws and regulations of the countries in which it operates. Honesty in
relationships between Members and with the outside world Members of Pack2Go Europe place a premium on honesty
and fair dealing in relationships with and among Members and in conducting
their business activities. Members are expected to be truthful in dealing with
others. All reports or responses to questions provided within the Association
or to outsiders (customers, suppliers, financial institutions, governmental
agencies of all kinds, other organizations and/or people with a need or right
to receive information) are expected to be truthful, accurate and not
misleading in any way.
Promoting
fair competition The products and services promoted by the Members of
the Association will be sold on their merits. Members will compete vigorously
and fairly in the markets they serve. They will not enter into illegal
arrangements nor engage in illegal concerted activities with their competitors
or with others. Products will be described truthfully and accurately.
Misleading stakeholders through deceptive acts or practice, false advertising
or claims, misinterpretation of other members’ products or other unfair methods
of competition are in conflict with these guidelines. Providing accurate information Pack2Go Europe relies on the integrity of the records
and information reported to it by its Members so that it can, in turn, produce
and provide information and reports to international and government agencies
and to other associations. So it is essential that all records are accurate and
complete. Pack2Go Europe in turn guarantees the absolute confidentiality of the
records and information reported by its Members, unless this information is in
the public domain at the time of disclosure. In so doing, Pack2Go Europe and
its members will respect relevant competition/anti-trust laws.
Spreading
our standards Member of Pack2Go Europe and their subsidiaries and
affiliates throughout the world will support the Association's principles of
business ethics and behave in a manner consistent with these high operational
standards.
Governance Pack2Go Europe will investigate any reported matter of
no compliance and, if the Association determines that violation has occurred,
its Plenary Assembly will take immediate appropriate action. Specific
commitments of Members Members of Pack2Go Europe are committed to making
constant efforts and showing tangible progress in promoting the environment,
health, safety, convenience and citizenship within the convenience food and
beverage packaging industry. In this way, we aim to meet or surpass relevant public
expectations. enhancing product features
High quality products Members of Pack2Go Europe aim to provide branded
products and services which consistently offer value in terms of functionality,
convenience and quality, and which are safe for their intended use. In line
with relevant regulations, standards or guidelines, and where this is
appropriate and relevant, these products will be accurately and properly
labeled to facilitate their identification and specific appropriate treatment
in the packaging waste stream. Safe
products As consumers would expect, Pack2Go Europe Members are
committed to providing healthy and safe products, ensuring their products meet and,
where possible, exceed national and European safety regulations. Wherever
safety is compromised, Members will act without delay to ensure that the risk
to consumers is minimized or eliminated. Members of Pack2Go Europe communicate on their products through proper
labelling, informative and accurate advertising, and other appropriate methods.
minimizing the impact on the environment
Environment Members of Pack2Go Europe will strive to operate in a
sustainable way. In this regard, they are committed to making measurable,
documented progress in reducing the impact of their products in the environment
in the short term and to developing a sustainable industry model in the
medium-long term. As the most efficient short term way to reduce the impact of
packaging in the environment, Pack2Go Europe promotes and supports the
development of appropriate source reduction, recyclability and recovery policies
for products by the Members of the Association, in line, notably, with the EU
packaging and packaging waste directive and the essential requirements it
promotes. Measured
progress Members of Pack2Go Europe will develop a resource and
manufacturing waste reduction, recyclability and recovery policy specific to
its operational activity and strategic focus and will communicate progress
annually to the Association. This will be done in line with a common
performance measurement system agreed upon by its members and validated by
third party associations and partners identified for this purpose on account of
their solid public reputation in environmental protection. With the help of the
common performance measurement system, Pack2Go Europe will monitor annually the
progress of its members in the implementation of its specific source reduction,
recyclability and recovery policies. Communication In order to respect the confidentiality of the
information communicated by individual members, Pack2Go Europe will publish
aggregated information of progress made by the members on each of the
performance measures, taking into account the weight of packaging materials processed
by individual member. These weighted average annual statistics will be
published on the web site of Pack2Go Europe.
Partnership with governments, agencies and other
organisations Pack2Go Europe will co-operate with governments, their
agencies, and other stakeholders, both directly and through its Members, in the
development of proposed legislation and other regulations in relation to litter,
packaging waste treatment, and initiatives to promote environmental care, to
increase the understanding of environmental issues and to disseminate good
practice.
Citizenship Pack2Go Europe and its Members will contribute to the
education of consumers and users of packaging regarding the proper use and
disposal of packaging for food and drinks consumed on-the-go. It will do so by
providing understandable and relevant information - on the package, through the
internet and, wherever possible, through educational programmes for local
communities where the Members’ premises are established.
Pack2Go
Packed to go! So you can.
