These clear retailer guidelines, combined with a variety of region-specific government standards, are encouraging and enabling a new generation of sustainable best practice across the world. For example in May 2012, South Korea became the first country in Asia to introduce a national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions trading scheme (ETS). The ETS will commence in 2015, and aims to reduce the country’s emissions by 30% by 2020. To achieve this, the country’s manufacturing businesses will need to re-evaluate their production operations and practices.
Small parts, big impact
To be truly sustainable, an increasing number of manufacturers are looking further into the supply chain, at the suppliers of the parts and equipment used on an everyday basis in their plants. By working with partners that understand the importance of sustainability, manufacturers can further improve their credentials at every point of the supply chain – and as a well-known British retailer states, ‘every little helps’. This is achieved as these suppliers drive their own sustainable initiatives across the production of the systems that are used in the manufacture of food and beverage products. Utilizing sustainability-enhancing equipment and components can add up to a significant impact.
Take flexible tubing, for example. Flexible tubing can come into contact with beverage and food products at several points along the supply chain, beginning with transfer applications at the processing stage and ending with applications in beverage or condiment dispensers found at many restaurants and fast-food chains. Just like CPGs, these institutions are aware of their environmental footprint and continuously strive to meet sustainability goals.
Many tubing products are comprised of a fossil-fuel based phthalate called DEHP (which stands for di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate) which is a plasticizer used to give tubing its flexibility. According to the NIH Hazardous Substances Data Bank, recent studies suggest DEHP may be responsible for negative environmental and human health impacts. Already on the EU’s REACH candidate list of substances of very high concern (SVHC) and California’s OEHHA Proposition 65 List of chemicals of concern, many industries, consumers and governments are putting limitations on the use of this chemical in certain applications.
As part of the company’s commitment to sustainability, Saint-Gobain recently launched Tygon S3, a bio-based, non-phthalate tubing for food and beverage dispensing and transfer applications. This sustainable solution provides high level performance in delivering clarity, product consistency and taste-odor free properties associated with the Tygon brand of tubing, but with a forward-looking formulation to addresses the needs of evolving regulatory requirements. Being phthalate-free means the potential human health and environmental impacts during the tubing’s use are reduced. Companies who use Tygon S3 will have reduced exposure to risk or liability for their business and brands with the anticipated regulations on products containing phthalates like DEHP in food or beverage dispensing, processing, and transfer applications.
