Designs
Comparative Packaging Assessment (COMPASS)
COMPASS (Comparative Packaging Assessment) is an online software application that allows packaging professionals to compare the environmental impacts of their package designs using a life cycle approach. COMPASS helps packaging designers make more informed material selections and design decisions early in the development process.
COMPASS can compare up to four primary and secondary packages, and packaging systems, with quick visual guidance on a common set of environmental parameters. COMPASS assesses packages on resource consumption, emissions, and attributes such as material health, recycled or virgin content, sourcing, and solid waste.
COMPASS was developed by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition® (SPC), a project of the nonprofit institute GreenBlue®, and is informed by stakeholder expertise from the packaging supply chain as well as life cycle analysis experts.
Benefits include:
- Offers the credibility of a well informed and rigorous development process
- Introduces the concept of life cycle thinking
- Provides flexibility by reporting on a range of criteria, allowing users to understand the tradeoffs of material selection and select options that best fit their company’s sustainability objectives
- Evaluates the recyclability of a package using the latest EPA and EU recovery figures