Asda unveils ‘massive’ supplier rationalisation plan at easyFairs

Asda’s buying manager for packaging and the environment Shane Monkman told the audience at a Packaging News-run learnShop that supplier rationalisation was a “massive project” to help the retailer ensure it was “working with the right people”.

“The team has three remits for packaging buying – sustainable, technical, commercial. We’ve already looked at our label suppliers and will follow this year with films, corrugated, cartons and trays. Everything else will be looked at in 2011,” said Monkman.

Another important part of Asda’s work on packaging in the next year will be the introduction of its version of Wal-Mart’s packaging scorecard.

Monkman said the aim was to have a more scientific, robust process for decision-making on packaging.

“We’ve worked to develop a scorecard that works consistently with representatives from across the packaging supply chain, led by Pira, and have managed to evolve something that has input from all stakeholders and is based on cradle-to-cradle thinking,” he said.

The biggest factor will be the global warming potential of a product, looking at the carbon effect of the packaging and the job it does. The other categories are product to packaging ratio, distribution and logistics, recycled material content and renewable energy.

“It’s not a de-facto system that just measures carbon, because we realise that packaging does a whole heap of other jobs,” he said.

Monkman also revealed the retailer would be moving its packaging strategy from weight to carbon-based targets in line with the development of the second generation of the Courtauld Commitment.

“Weight targets, which have driven action in Courtauld 1, have got us so far down the line, but they can become counter productive by driving decision making,” he said.

Asda is also set to revisit retail ready packaging to find the best product for customers and its staff.

Easyfairs was held at the Birmingham NEC on 24-25 February.

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