External reference index
- U.S. EPA — Documentation for WARM emissions, energy and economic factors
- U.S. EPA — WARM Version 16: Containers, Packaging and Non-Durable Goods Materials
- U.S. EPA — WARM Version 16: Management Practices, including Source Reduction
- FTC — Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims
- GHG Protocol — Technical Guidance for Calculating Scope 3 Emissions
- NIST SP 365 — Metric Conversion Card
- DSP — Eco-Z system overview
- DSP US — Eco-Z and company overview
- Industry reference — 53-foot dry-van dimensions and pallet capacity
U.S. Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
Circular Action Alliance
Circular Action Alliance (CAA) is a nonprofit, producer-led Producer Responsibility Organization supporting the implementation of packaging and paper EPR programs across multiple U.S. states.
Its resources provide current information on state programs, producer registration, reporting requirements, implementation schedules and producer fees.
Used in the Eco-Z DATA Report to document the evolving U.S. regulatory and economic framework for packaging.
View Circular Action Alliance — U.S. Packaging EPR Information
General methodology and limitations
- Functional unit: One 33.8 U.S. fl oz product-use cycle.
- Replacement-package comparison: One 0.071 oz Recharge Bag versus one 3.53 oz defined conventional single-use package.
- Complete-system allocation: One 3.53 oz reusable Bottle allocated across 25 uses, plus one 0.071 oz Bag per use.
- Plastic claim: Based on packaging weight, not package count or product contents.
- CO2e method: Avoided plastic mass multiplied by the EPA WARM Version 16 LLDPE source-reduction factor of 1.58 metric tons CO2e per U.S. short ton. LLDPE is used as a model proxy and must be validated against the actual material composition.
- CO2e boundary: WARM-based source-reduction estimate; not a complete product carbon footprint and not a certified life-cycle assessment.
- Pallet method: Uses DSP pack-out assumptions of 1,200 conventional packages per pallet and 32,200 Recharge Bags per pallet. The 802-pallet figure excludes initial reusable-Bottle pallets.
- Transport boundary: Pallet counts are logistics activity indicators. No route-specific transportation emissions are quantified.
- Rounding: Values should be calculated from version-controlled unrounded inputs and rounded only for display.
Results are modeled estimates based on the stated packaging weights, Bottle-life allocation, pallet capacities and EPA WARM source-reduction factor. Actual results may vary by product configuration, material composition, Bottle reuse, supplier, pack-out, transport network, operating practices and end-of-life treatment. The model is not a third-party-certified life-cycle assessment or a guarantee of financial savings.
Page 1
98% less plastic per replacement
- One Eco-Z Recharge Bag uses approximately 98% less plastic packaging by weight than the defined conventional single-use package.
- Calculation:
- 1 − (0.071 oz ÷ 3.53 oz) = 0.979887 = 97.99%
- Basis of comparison: Equal product quantity of 33.8 U.S. fl oz; one empty Recharge Bag compared with one defined empty conventional single-use package. Product contents are excluded.
Approximately 164 metric tons CO2e avoided at one million cycles
- At one million cycles, with one reusable Bottle allocated across 25 uses, the model estimates approximately 164 metric tons of packaging-material CO2e avoided.
- Plastic calculation:
- Avoided plastic per cycle = 3.53 − 0.071 − (3.53 ÷ 25) = 3.3178 oz
- 3.3178 oz × 1,000,000 ÷ 16 ÷ 2,000 = 103.68125 U.S. short tons of plastic
- CO2e calculation:
- 103.68125 U.S. short tons × 1.58 metric tons CO2e/U.S. short ton = 163.816 metric tons CO2e
- Rounded result: approximately 164 metric tons CO2e.
- Methodological boundary: The calculation applies EPA WARM Version 16’s LLDPE source-reduction factor as a modeling proxy. It principally represents avoided raw-material acquisition and manufacturing emissions associated with source reduction. It is not a complete product carbon footprint or a third-party-certified life-cycle assessment.
Sources:
- Industry reference — typical capacity of a 53-foot dry van
Approximately 802 inbound packaging pallets avoided
Comparing unfilled replacement packaging only, one million conventional packages would require approximately 802 more pallets than one million Eco-Z Recharge Bags.
Calculation:
Conventional pallets = 1,000,000 ÷ 1,200 = 833.33
Eco-Z Bag pallets = 1,000,000 ÷ 32,200 = 31.06
Pallets avoided = 833.33 − 31.06 = 802.28
Rounded result: approximately 802 pallets.
Important boundary: This calculation covers unfilled conventional packages versus unfilled Recharge Bags. It excludes pallets used to transport the initial reusable Bottles. It is a pallet-position estimate, not a direct calculation of freight emissions or freight cost.
Sources:
Page 3
Equivalent product quantity
The conventional comparison package and one Eco-Z Recharge Bag each deliver 33.8 U.S. fl oz of product.
Basis: Equal delivered product volume is the functional basis of the packaging-weight comparison.
Page 4
Cumulative plastic reduction increases with reuse
Allocating the reusable Bottle across additional uses increases the cumulative plastic-packaging reduction compared with purchasing a new conventional package for every cycle.
Formula:
Cumulative reduction at n uses = 1 − [(Bottle weight + n × Bag weight) ÷ (n × conventional-package weight)]
Using a 3.53 oz Bottle, 0.071 oz Bag and 3.53 oz conventional package:
Uses | Calculation result | Rounded display value |
|---|---|---|
1 | −2.01% | −2.0% |
2 | 47.99% | 48% |
5 | 77.99% | 78% |
10 | 87.99% | 88% |
25 | 93.99% | 94% |
Page 5
The model reaches packaging break-even during the second use
When the reusable Bottle is included at acquisition, the Eco-Z system initially uses slightly more packaging mass than one conventional package. By the second use, cumulative Eco-Z packaging mass is lower than the two-package conventional baseline.
Calculation:
Use 1: Eco-Z = 3.53 + 0.071 = 3.601 oz; conventional = 3.53 oz
Use 2: Eco-Z = 3.53 + (2 × 0.071) = 3.672 oz; conventional = 2 × 3.53 = 7.06 oz
Because the CO2e estimate is proportional to avoided packaging mass, the WARM-based emissions model also shows a benefit during the second use.
Results after 5 uses
After five uses, the model estimates approximately 78.0% less cumulative plastic packaging and approximately 1.50 lb of WARM-based packaging-material CO2e avoided.
Calculation:
Plastic avoided = (5 × 3.53) − [3.53 + (5 × 0.071)] = 13.765 oz = 0.8603 lb
Reduction = 13.765 ÷ (5 × 3.53) = 77.99%
CO2e avoided = 0.8603 lb plastic × 1.58 × 1.10231 = 1.498 lb CO2e
Results after 25 uses
After 25 uses, the model estimates approximately 94.0% less cumulative plastic packaging and approximately 9.03 lb of WARM-based packaging-material CO2e avoided.
Calculation:
Plastic avoided = (25 × 3.53) − [3.53 + (25 × 0.071)] = 82.945 oz = 5.1841 lb
Reduction = 82.945 ÷ (25 × 3.53) = 93.99%
CO2e avoided = 5.1841 lb plastic × 1.58 × 1.10231 = 9.029 lb CO2e
Sources:
Page 6
One truckload carries 31,200 unfilled conventional packages
Calculation:
26 pallets × 1,200 units = 31,200 units
Sources:
Page 7
One Eco-Z pallet represents approximately 1.03 conventional truckloads
Based on the defined pack-out assumptions, one pallet of 32,200 unfilled Recharge Bags contains approximately as many replacement units as 1.03 truckloads of unfilled conventional packages.
Calculation:
32,200 Bags ÷ 31,200 conventional units per truckload = 1.0321 truckloads
Rounded result: approximately 1.03 truckloads.
Reduced inbound pallet requirements
Within the replacement-packaging-only boundary, Eco-Z requires substantially fewer inbound pallet positions at the filling plant.
Illustrative comparison for one million replacement units:
Conventional: 1,000,000 ÷ 1,200 = 833.33 pallets
Eco-Z Bags: 1,000,000 ÷ 32,200 = 31.06 pallets
Reduction in replacement-packaging pallet positions = 96.27%
Page 8
Model allocation per cycle
The page’s 6-, 12- and 24-cycle scenarios allocate one reusable Bottle across its assumed 25-use life.
Avoided plastic allocated to each cycle:
3.53 − 0.071 − (3.53 ÷ 25) = 3.3178 oz per cycle
Page 10
Materials and procurement
- Potential relevance: Lower packaging mass per cycle may reduce the quantity of packaging material purchased and the associated cradle-to-gate emissions reported under Scope 3, Category 1: Purchased Goods and Services.
Inbound logistics
- Potential relevance: Fewer inbound packaging pallets may affect third-party transportation and distribution reported under Scope 3, Category 4: Upstream Transportation and Distribution.
Operational waste
- Potential relevance: Lower packaging mass handled or discarded at commercial facilities may affect Scope 3, Category 5: Waste Generated in Operations.
Downstream logistics
- Potential relevance: Lower packaging mass and different pack-out may affect Scope 3, Category 9: Downstream Transportation and Distribution when the relevant transportation occurs after the point of sale and is not paid for by the reporting company.
Product end of life
- Potential relevance: Replacing additional rigid packages with lighter Recharge Bags changes the mass and form of packaging reaching end of life and may affect Scope 3, Category 12: End-of-Life Treatment of Sold Products.
GHG Protocol — Technical Guidance for Calculating Scope 3 Emissions