Date | 29th June 2009 / www.procarton.com | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Title | The Global Village 14. ECR Congress on "Efficient Consumer Response" |
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Text | The global village is becoming more and more of an economic and ecological reality. It is virtually impossible to do anything without affecting many others in the process. Therefore, industry and trade intend to cooperate closer in future to improve sustainability and respond faster to customers' needs. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
The 14th ECR (Efficient Consumer Response) Congress was held at the beginning of June in Barcelona. This congress which is run annually, brought together about 900 people mainly from the retail and brand owner industries and is regarded as one of the main events in their annual calendar. Virtually all of the main retailers and brand owners are represented and the attendee list provides a window on those industries. Sharing Ideas The format of the congress is very much based on sharing ideas and information and working toward improving the co-ordination in the supply chain and it is for this reason that Pro Carton has been involved for several years. Packaging plays a key role in the supply chain and Pro Carton is therefore able to reach many people who are interested and involved in what packaging can offer to help both retailers and brand owners in marketing their products. As a result of this Pro Carton took a larger part at the Barcelona event than it had done for several years to seek to provide information and background on the benefits that cartons and cartonboard offer. Emphasis on Sustainability Whilst the theme of the congress this year was about change and was entitled “Our World is changing and our shoppers are more demanding” there was also much emphasis on the sustainability issues that surround these industries. These issues were very much in the forefront and special sessions were held during the Congress looking at the many different aspects of sustainability. Pro Carton was invited to be a speaker at one of the break-out sessions entitled “Getting lean by going green”. During this session Pro Carton presented the outline findings of a report it has recently commissioned alongside ECMA – The European Carton Makers Association. This technical study is looking in detail at the storage of carbon in the forests and the subsequent storage of carbon during the life cycle of cartons. The presentation gave the highlights of the study’s conclusions and in closing the session, Richard Dalgleish, the Managing Director of Pro Carton said that he hoped that “this study will extend the wider knowledge and understanding of biogenic carbon and the important role of forests and lead to further discussion”. The study, which is being carried out by IVL, the Swedish Environmental Research Institute, is expected to be finalised later in the year. It will form part of the information Pro Carton provides on cartonboard packaging and sustainability and also carbon footprint. Collaboration and Co-operation In fact collaboration and co-operation were the key themes of the congress and were highlighted also by Nestlé and Macro who were working more closely than ever to “alter the landscape and satisfy consumer needs”. The changing needs of consumers were also highlighted both by Phillip Clarke of Tesco and by Jorge Pont of El Cortes Inglés who both said how vital is was to understand what consumers wanted and needed and then to make changes fast and effectively to meet these changing needs. Overall the major theme that was repeated throughout the congress was one of co-operation and as the world has changed so significantly in recent times, so all the companies and industries in the supply chain need to change and adapt to meet these needs. Cartons therefore, as the most sustainable type of primary packaging available, will be at the forefront of these changes and the skills, flair and ingenuity of cartonboard and carton manufacturers will offer solutions to help retailers and brand owners get their products to market effectively whilst at the same time offering high visibility, easy recognition and product advertising on shelf where most purchasing decisions are made. |
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Further Information |
Richard Dalgleish +44 777 613 8510 dalgleish@procarton.com Suzanne McEwen +43 1 218 6918 mcewen@procarton.com |
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Background | Pro Carton is the European Association of Carton and Cartonboard manufacturers. Its main purpose is to promote the use of cartons and cartonboard to brand owners, the trade as well as designers, the media and politicians as an economically and ecologically balanced packaging medium. |