New forum to tackle environmental footprint of every-day goods instead of concentrating on single issues like packaging

Ground-breaking research will be at the heart of a unique collaboration by retailers, suppliers, environmental charities, academics and UK governments to tackle the challenges posed by the environmental impact of every-day products. The Product Sustainability Forum (PSF) brings together more than 80 organisations to take the lead on addressing environmental and sustainability issues that arise from making and selling products. Packaging, greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, water use, reliance on raw materials and product-related waste will all come under the spotlight. Taking a joined-up approach to researching, measuring, communicating and reducing the environmental impact of a range of consumer goods - from dairy products and DIY materials to soft drinks and tinned groceries - the group’s focus will span the whole of a product’s life.
The PSF is the first organisation of its kind in the UK, and demonstrates the desire and determination that exists to look at better ways of managing resources. The approach marks a shift away from simply concentrating on a single issue like packaging, towards a focus on a product’s whole life. The forum believes that improving the environmental performance of products will deliver a number of benefits – reducing costs, improving resource efficiency, and securing the future supply of products for consumer use (Press Release WRAP, 20 June 2012).