Innovia Films: Driving sustainable performance through informed decision making

Our solution In 2007, the company asked PE INTERNATIONAL to deploy its GaBi software tool and undertake a Life Cycle Assess-ment (LCA) from Cradle to Gate for NatureFlex, Innovia Films’ renewable and compostable cellulose film product. This was an in-depth analysis of two versions of the company’s cellulose product – coated and uncoated films – and went far beyond simply establishing their carbon footprints. A wide range of impact categories were addressed, from acidification potential to primary energy usage, giving the company an understanding of where the hot-spots were and where improvements could be made. The report was used to develop a strategy for improving both product and process. The study included scenario analysis, pro-viding an historical perspective on how process development changed over the past 30 years, covering the installation of a combined heat and power (CHP) plant, process gas and heat recovery, and enhancements to waste-water treatment.

Innovia Films has used the GaBi life-cycle assessment tool and scenario modelling software to establish sound environmen-tal credentials for its products and processes. Working with PE INTERNATIONAL, the company now has the knowledge to drive informed sustainable choices about investment in ma-nufacturing.

Innovia’s challenge Innovia Films is a world leading manufacturer of speciality, high performance polypropylene and cellulose films. As a supplier to some of the world’s largest consumer goods manufacturers, food producers and specialist packaging com-panies, Innovia Films needed to establish a clear understanding of the environmental impact of the company’s products. Although industry data already existed for polypropylene film production, very little was available for cellulose film.

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In 2008 a similar Cradle to Gate assessment of the company’s oriented polypropylene film product was undertaken. From 2009 onwards, three separate projects were commissioned. Firstly, there was an updated LCA study of the NatureFlex product to assess the impact of changes undertaken since the LCA of 2007. Changes included raw material modifications, the closing of two old lines and the installation of a new, more efficient production line at the company’s Wigton site in the UK. The other two projects involved ‘what if’ scenarios for alternative technologies. The work highlighted the potential benefits that would come from making these process changes and the scenarios were used to feed into the decision making process for possible capital investment.

Innovia Film’s benefits The LCAs provided a valuable benchmark for Innovia Films and its cellulose based product. It enabled the company to look at the process step-by-step and to gain an appreciation as to where the hot-spots were and therefore where best to concentrate investment. The 10 m investment into the new cellulose film production line at Wigton, Cumbria, has resulted in substantial environmental benefits and efficiencies. Improvements include the recovery and recycling of process gases,

»This work is critical in supporting our message. If you are selling a product on environmental credentials, you need to be able to prove that you are looking at and understanding every aspect of your supply chain.« Andrew Sweetman, Business Development and Sustainability Manager, Innovia Films

reduced steam consumption due to the increased efficiency of the casting line and a fully-enclosed dryer and exhaust heat re-covery system designed to reduce energy usage. These advances, coupled with reduced energy requirements have already lowered the company’s product carbon footprint by 17 per cent since 2007. Now when Innovia Films are looking towards possible process changes the company is able to see if there might be any impacts, positive or negative, associated with those changes – helping to lead the company’s investment programme through having in-formed choices between different options before committing to capital investment.

The result Tracking the environmental performance of both product and process are an ongoing project for Innovia Films. The company is using the data proactively to drive the business forward. The company has moved from viewing the work from purely a communications perspective and is now also engaged in using GaBi as a process improvement tool. What started out as a marketing lead initiative has been embraced by Innovia Films and used to transform both the product and manufacturing process, aligning the business with a changing, more sustainable world.

»As we develop new products we will put them through an LCA and as we look to make further investments on plant, we will look to track those changes through the LCA process using GaBi – it will be very much an ongoing process.«

Innovia’s Solution in brief:

Customer Industry & Headquarters: Speciality and cellulose films, United Kingdom Scope: LCA from Cradle to Gate for cellulose film product Services & Solutions: GaBi Software solution, Cradle to Gate life-cycle assessment, scenario modelling

Benefits:

> Identification of hot-spots where investment in environmental improvements should concentrate