🇧🇪Upstream Score

Assessment of the origin of the raw materials used in the packaging

Incorporation of recycled raw materials (A)

The integration of recycled raw materials makes it possible to avoid the extraction of virgin raw materials, giving a second life to the materials. From an environmental point of view, this is the most interesting option.

For each material, the average incorporation rate is used:

Materials	Incorporation rate
Steel	51%
Aluminum	44%
Glass	61%
Cardboard / paper	66%
Plastic - Transparent PET bottle	25%
Plastic - Other	0%
Other materials (wood, cork, wax, etc.)	0%

Source : ADEME. (2017, may). National Recycling Report 2005-2014.

When the information is available, the incorporation rate communicated by the brand can be used. For example, some water bottles are made from 100% recycled plastic, so this percentage will be used instead of the industry average (25%). (This is not available yet)

Renewable & sustainable raw material (B)

For renewable materials, sustainability labels make it possible to guarantee a more respectful management of resources, for example by guaranteeing the reforestation of forests (FSC) or by reducing greenhouse gas emissions (BonSucro).

The labels taken into account are:

• FSC : for packaging made from wood (paper, cardboard, kraft, etc.)
• BonSucro : for plastic packaging made from sugar cane

Renewable raw material (C)

The renewable materials used for food packaging are:

• Wood (cardboard, paper, kraft, wood)

• Biobased plastic, made from agricultural production, without fossil resources

Non-renewable raw material (D)

The so-called "non-renewable" raw materials are those whose stocks take several million years to be reconstituted: they are therefore finite resources on a human scale.

In food, there are 5 non-renewable materials:

• Plastics (from petroleum)

• Metals (aluminum, steel)

• Glass (sand)

• Ceramics (clay)

• Wax (from petroleum)

Score calculation

To calculate the upstream score, points are assigned according to the origin of the raw materials, from the most favorable option (recycled raw material) to the most unfavorable option (non-renewable raw material).

Raw material	Ratio
Recycled	1
Renewable and sustainable	0.75
Renewable	0.5
Non-renewable	0

The upstream score corresponds to the sum of the points awarded. It is expressed out of 100.

$$score = A*1+B*0.75+C*0.5+D*0$$

$A$ the % of incorporation of recycled raw materials $B$ the % of renewable and sustainable raw material $C$ the % of non-sustainable renewable raw material $D$ the % of non-renewable raw material

The sum of the 4 possible origins (A, B, C, D) must always equal 100%.

Synthesis by materials

In the Belgian version of the methodology, these upstream material scores were attributed to the different FostPlus* material categories as such:

	A (recycled raw materials)	B (renewable and sustainable raw material)	C (non-sustainable renewable raw material)	D (non-renewable raw material)	Upstream
001 Glass	61	0	0	39	61
002 Paper-cardboard (≥ 85%)	66	0	34	0	83
002 Paper-cardboard (≥ 85%) - With FSC label	66	34	0	0	92
002 Paper-cardboard (≥ 85%) - 100% recycled material	100	0	0	0	100
003 Steel (≥ 50%)	51	0	0	49	51
004 Aluminium (≥ 50% and ≥ 50μ)	44	0	0	56	44
005-01 PET – Bottles and flasks - Transparent colourless	25	0	0	75	25
005-01 Recycled 100% PET – Bottles and flasks - Transparent colourless	100	0	0	0	100
005-02 PET – Bottles and flasks - Transparent blue	25	0	0	75	25
005-03/011-04 PET - Bottle/flask - Transparent - other than colorless/blue/green	25	0	0	75	25
007/011-03 HDPE – Bottles, flasks and other rigid packaging	25	0	0	100	25
008 Beverage cartons	0	46	29	25	49
011-01 PP – Bottles, flasks and other rigid packaging	0	0	0	0	0
011-02 PS – Hard packaging, except for EPS	0	0	0	0	0
011-05 PET – rigid packaging other than bottles and flasks - Transparent	0	0	0	0	0
011-07 PE – Films	0	0	0	0	0
011-09 Other plastics – Films, except for compostable	0	0	0	0	0
011-06 PET – Bottles and flasks – Opaque	25	0	0	75	25
011-08 Other plastics – Hard packaging, except for compostable plastics and EPS	0	0	0	0	0
12	0	0	0	0	0
Composite materials in which paper-cardboard accounts for the greatest weight
013 Aluminium (<50µ) non-composite	44	0	0	0	44
014 Other plastic packaging – whether or not composite – where plastic accounts for the greatest	0	0	0	0	0
weight, including compostable plastics and EPS
016 Wood, cork, textile, …	0	0	100	0	50
017 Composite packaging in which glass accounts for the greatest weight	0	0	0	100	0
018 Composite packaging in which steel accounts for the greatest weight	0	0	0	100	0
019 Pottery, ceramics, porcelain, …	0	0	0	100	0

*FostPlus is the Belgian EPR ( Extended producer responsibility) company dedicated to consumer packaging recycling and reporting. See sources.