Bridging Regulation and Nature-Positive Goals: A Multi-Level Packaging LCA Tool for Sustainable Packaging at Holcim

Main Presenter:    Asfand Yar Munir 

Co-Authors:   Nikolaos Vlasopoulos     Maria Eugenia Ceballos Hunziker      Ramlah Johar                                    

The European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which entered into force in early 2025, has redefined the operational landscape for organizations across the continent. With its stringent mandates on recyclability grading systems, minimum recycled content targets for plastics, and mandatory packaging minimization, the PPWR requires companies to move beyond incremental changes toward a fundamental restructuring of their supply chains and packaging portfolios.

In parallel with these regulatory shifts, Holcim has reinforced its commitment to environmental stewardship by becoming one of the first three companies globally to adopt Science-Based Targets for Nature (SBTN) in 2024. These targets provide a rigorous framework for halting and reversing nature loss, specifically by setting measurable goals for the reduction of freshwater withdrawal and the conservation of land systems within the company’s direct operations and value chain.

To navigate the intersection of PPWR compliance and SBTN commitments, Holcim has developed a bespoke Packaging LCA Calculator. This tool is designed to bridge the gap between high-level sustainability strategy and day-to-day operational decisions. A cradle-to-grave assessment tool, it tracks a comprehensive suite of indicators including Global Warming Potential (GWP), water consumption, eutrophication, and forest land-use impact.

Unique in its implementation, the tool provides direct oversight of packaging environmental performance across the organization. Its multi-level flexibility allows for environmental benchmarking at the regional, country, plant, and individual packaging-type levels. Furthermore, the calculator features a “replacement scenario” module that allows to simulate the environmental trade-offs of transitioning from legacy packaging to innovative, next-generation technologies. This tool empowers procurement to make informed purchasing decisions that optimize packaging costs, reduce environmental impact and ensure compliance with packaging regulations.

While the initial version of the tool relied on environmental profiles from commercial databases, it is designed to continuously integrate more specific environmental profiles as they become available. This transition underscores a critical challenge and opportunity in life cycle management: the necessity of high-quality, primary data to ensure the reliability of environmental claims and to drive meaningful actions across the value chain.

Keywords: LCA, packaging

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