HAI and Repak looking for support in developing packaging calculation tool

Hardware Association Ireland (HAI), in partnership with Repak, are seeking a group of member retailers/builders merchants to participate in a packaging waste audit in the aim of developing a new packaging weight calculation tool. The purpose of this tool is to assist business owners with meeting the European Union (Packaging) Regulations – 2014, a legal obligation for Irish businesses with a turnover of over €1.m and who place more than 10 tonnes of packaging on to the Irish market.

Local Authority Enforcement Officers are now vigorously challenging potentially obligated Hardware/Builders Merchants to confirm their packaging output figures. This can in some cases be a costly process and may involve an external, environmental consultant. This waste audit will give all members a robust and accurate indication of the ‘packaging’ output of their business, which will be acceptable to their Local Authority Enforcement Officer.

Jim Copeland, Head of Member Relations at HAI, notes the key benefits of the tool: “This tool, when developed, will provide hardware retailers and merchants with an effective and zero-cost solution to this particular strand of legislation.”

To complete this audit HAI would like to work with a selection of Hardware/Builders Merchant stores. The packaging audit will be completed in the form of a benchmark survey, and all data provided by member respondents will be treated confidentially by HAI’s environmental consultancy, Greenstreets www.greenstreets.ie.

If you would like to participate in this audit and support the development of the REPAK packaging tool please contact Jim Copeland at jim@hardwareassociation.ie or call 01 2980969.