GPA Global
Specsavers
Helping Specsavers develop a ‘best in class’ packaging strategy while optimising waste management practices across the business
Specsavers Optical Superstores Limited is a healthcare retail chain, offering optometry, audiology and other healthcare services.
Specsavers has been a Valpak customer since 2012 utilising our Data Management services to outsource the collection and collation of packaging data and ensure compliance with the Packaging Waste Regulations both in the UK and overseas.
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With the impending legislative changes set to take shape under the new Extended Producer Responsibility (‘EPR’), Specsavers was keen to better understand its internal product packaging landscape, as well as seeking to address its wider environmental footprint. By proactively understanding its current packaging exposure and addressing any issues, Specsavers aim is to mitigate future costs by analysing how existing packaging protocols (e.g. consumer, manufacturing or shipping product packaging) would be impacted by the legislative changes proposed under EPR. In addition, Specsavers sought to improve its waste management practices across the business, while generating cost efficiencies.
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Valpak Consulting was engaged to provide Specsavers with a three-phased solution-based approach, namely:
- Packaging Benchmark to compare Specsavers’ existing packaging regimes against other optical retailers
- Scoping exercise to identify key issues affecting Specsavers packaging footprint; and
- Waste Mapping to review waste management practices for its key waste streams
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Once the packaging scoping and benchmarking work had been carried out, Valpak Consulting identified possible EPR savings of up to £150k per annum based on recommendations suggested in the report.
Our team also identified potential savings of up to £25k in waste management costs at two central sites visited, based on the results of the waste mapping exercise.
Valpak Consulting carried out a packaging benchmarking exercise on Specsavers’ top-selling products. This compared them with ‘best in class’ packaging from within the optical retail sector and from other more varied product types.
This exercise revealed that Specsavers’ packaging performance varied depending on type and as a result, Valpak offered suggestions for areas for improvement.
Once the benchmarking exercise was complete, our team identified a key strategic business area that was the biggest contributor to its packaging footprint and therefore the greatest challenge in terms of EPR obligations.
Working alongside Specsavers colleagues, Valpak set out to identify the optimal pack size in terms of:
- use of material
- obligation
- recyclability
If the suggested changes are implemented Specsavers could potentially see significant cost-saving financial benefits under both the current Packaging Waste Regulations and upcoming EPR for packaging.
Reviewing the results from the scoping exercise, Valpak Consulting established that under the new EPR legislation, Specsavers could potentially pay a greater compliance fee per-tonne for its smaller packaging due to its current packaging recovery systems. As a result, an optimal pack size was recommended within our report to maintain recyclability as well as removing non-essential plastic.
Specsavers asked our team to review waste management practices for its key waste streams.
Our team visited a sample of business units including Specsavers depot, manufacturing facility and a number of stores, before providing a review of the services provided and the provision of capital equipment (e.g., machinery used for waste management).
It’s been a pleasure to work with Valpak’s Consultancy Team to establish how Specsavers can make improvements to packaging performance and waste management. The process was extremely thorough, and we learned a lot.