Third-party review explained
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Disclaimer
For suppliers who volunteer to submit their data for review by Greener Package's authorized third-party reviewers, the reviewers take a look at supplier documentation to check that it supports the claim, but make no attempt to verify or review documentation submitted for technical accuracy. Therefore, third-party reviewed claims do not constitute a statement of compliance with any laws or regulations, or a legal opinion as to the compliance of the language used in any claims or an approval or endorsement of product or services by Greener Package or the third-party. A review of materials by Greener Package and the third-party should not be used as a substitute for doing your own due diligence regarding supplier claims or seeking comprehensive professional advice about your particular packaging/product environmental claims. The Greener Package Third Party Review is a basic document review, not an audit or certification.
In a perfect world, an analyst would be assigned to audit from top to bottom every sustainability claim made by every supplier for every product in our database, testing materials in labs to ensure that claims are met, conducting chain-of-custody reviews, even lifecycle analyses. However, the cost to provide such level of analysis would be prohibitive. Packaging suppliers and CPGs--whose margins are already razor thin--would not be able to bear the financial burden to support this level of scrutiny.
The alternative, a database with no scrutiny, would quickly be overrun by listings that make different claims that mean different things to different people, with no accountability or back-up documentation.
However, there is a middle ground. Greener Package is introducing the notion of a voluntary third-party review. This is a review, not an audit! It is meant to be a one- or two-hour session where one of our authorized third-party reviewers (See "Authorized third party reviewers", below) examines specific supporting documentation from the packaging suppliers to back up any claims made.
For each sustainability claim that a supplier can make in the database, the supplier will be prompted to upload specific backup documentation in order to prove that claim, so there is no ambiguity.
The reviewer will then look over the documentation and compare it to the Greener Package Guidelines to Sustainability Claims to determine if the supplier really does meet the claim.
The reviewer will not audit supply chains, nor will the reviewer actually test the materials. But the reviewer will read, say, a test result proving that a particular material complies with an ASTM standard for compostability. Could a packaging supplier upload false documentation? Of course. But as indicated earlier in this document, most greenwashing claims arise not out of venal intent but through simple ignorance. The reviewer will be there to catch such claims, whether inadvertent or intentional.
In effect, the reviewer serves as a neutral third party making a good-faith effort to review backup documentation from suppliers to compare to a common guideline in order to save the users of the database time from having to do the same for each listing each time they search.
Tell your suppliers to submit
Companies who buy sustainable packaging materials are starting to encourage suppliers who have a new material to submit it to the Greener Package database and volunteer for the third-party review.
Authorized third-party reviewers
Environmental Packaging International (EPI) and Packaging Knowledge Group (PKG), having invested the time and expertise into creating the Greener Packaging Guidelines to Sustainability Claims, are the only third parties currently authorized by Greener Package to conduct such reviews.
EPI is staffed by environmental professionals with expertise in the area of global environmental compliance as it pertains to packaging. PKG is staffed by packaging scientists who are expert in the area of packaging sustainability. Both companies boast Fortune 500 companies on their rosters of clients, and experts from both companies regularly teach courses on how to use ECRM's Walmart Packaging Scorecard Modeling software.
More information
For frequently asked questions, a detailed, step-by-step explanation of how the review process works, please download this PDF that explains the third party review process in more detail, including the benefits for suppliers who volunteer for the review.
