The Consortium awards 200,000 Euros to the manufacturers and users of packaging that invest in green packaging. Milan, April 20 2015 The second edition of the “CONAI Tender for stewardship – Enhancing the environmental sustainability of packaging” (STEWARDSHIP Tender_2015) promoted by CONAI, the Italian National Packaging Consortium ,to reward the most innovative and sustainable packaging solutions on the market in the period from 2013-2014. All companies in the consortium, that have reviewed their packaging with aim of fostering innovation and environmental sustainability, taking action on at least one of the following points: reuse, reduction in the use of raw materials, optimisation of logistics, facilitating recycling activities, use of recycled materials, simplification of the packaging system and optimisation of production processes. Proposals must be submitted by July 31 2015, by downloading the special STEWARDSHIP_Tender_2015 from the CONAI website (www.conai.org). Applications will then be analysed using the Conai Eco Tool (www.ecotoolconai.org), which makes it possible to calculate, through a simplified LCA, the effects of the stewardship measures implemented by companies in their packaging using a before-after comparison in terms of saving energy and water, and the reduction of CO2 emissions. The Consorzio Nazionale Imballaggi will provide 200,000 Euros in prize money to worthy projects, of which 60,000 Euros will be shared by the 6 winning entries judged to be the most virtuous. “We believe that stewardship is the best investment for a sustainable future: that’s why we have planned a number of initiatives, including the Stewardship Tender which gives recognition, in economic terms as well, to companies that have innovated packaging with a focus on environmental sustainability,” said Walter Facciotto, Director General of CONAI. “The project is appreciated by companies and is producing results, as the first edition demonstrated, with 36 cases rewarded for a significant reduction in environmental impact. Our goal is to set into motion an ethical process capable of bringing follow-on benefits across the entire supply chain, starting from the packaging design phase, to guarantee maximum recyclability after use “. The CONAI Tender for environmental stewardship is part of the wider project “Future thinking”, which collects the initiatives conceived by the Consortium on the theme of stewardship: stewardship means adopting measures whose goal is reducing the environmental impact of packaging, which concerns not only on the quantity of the materials used, but also the processes of production and use, taking into consideration the whole life cycle of the package, itself. The goal of the CONAI Tender for environmental stewardship is to enhance and share best practices in the design of eco-sustainable packaging: the first edition of the competition, promoted in 2013, recognised 36 cases which led to a reduction in the equivalent emissions of CO2 equal to 34.5%, a savings of 36.3% in the consumption of energy consumption and a 36.2% decrease in the amount of water used. Watch the video dedicated to the new stewardship Tender.