13 replies to this topic

[Otilia]

Hello,

 

I'm Otilia ... and I'm a newbie in ... everything.

I work in a plant - plastic thermoforming for food and non-food.

My problem is this: we will build a new plant in about 4-5 months and there, I (the NEWBIE!!!) supposed to implement all the requirments of BRC/Iop standard.

We are producing, as well, the foil/plastic. So, all the technological waste and the trays that did not past the quality control are mill ground and return as scrap into the tehnological flow. In this moment we have 15 recipes for the foil, 13 different colors and 9 thermoforming machines.

The question is: how far should I go with the traceability for scrap? What exactly is the requirement of BRC/Iop?

If someone can help me ... I will be grateful.

 

Thank you,

Otilia

[Setanta]

Welcome and Hello, Otilia!

I do wish I could be of more help, but I have confidence that someone here has been where you are and can come forward with advice. I hope you find these forums as helpful and informative as I have.

Best Wishes!
Setanta

[Snookie]

Hi Otilia,

 

Welcome to the forum.  While I do packaging....I don't do that kind of packaging and BRC is not my forte.  But hopefully someone is going to come along and be able to help. 

[Hankesg]

http://www.brcglobal...px#.U8WByfldWSo

 

 

Looks like BRC has a specific packaging standard. I would start there if I were in your shoes.

[Otilia]

Thank you to all of you.

 

Hankesg, another problem of mine with the BRC: in all the standard I found "should", never "must" and nothing precise, clear. In a way is good, that means flexibility ...  but ... how flexible the auditors will be??? :)

[Simon]

Hello Otilia welcome to the IFSQN.

 

I know about packaging and the BRC/IOP Standard. Personally I find the standard very easy to read and interpret and the requirements are very prescriptive and practical unlike ISO standards.

 

Can you tell me the clause number and requirements you are stuck on and we'll try to help you.

[Otilia]

Hello Simon,

 

It's all about traceability for the scrap.

Ex.: one recipe (but we have 15 different recipes): 60% granules, 35% scrap, 2% additives and 3% colorant. All goes to extrusion. The result is a foil. That foil goes to thermoforming on, let's say, machine 1. During the proccess of thermoforming resulting technologic waste and nonconforming trays. All goes into a big box. The label on the box will provide: no. of machine, what type of granules (we have 2 different kind of granules, forbidden to mixed, have different properties), color and data. Then take the way to the mill. All will be chopped. 

But in this moment we have 9 machine and two mills. When we start to chop, we take the technological waste from 3-4 machines and the only requirement is to chop from the same granules and the same color. And now, on the resulted scrap, the label should have info that was provided from machine 1, 4 and 7? And how far shoul I go with this traceability? We are working 24/7 and at the mill we don't have so much space to order the technologic waste from which machines came.

Idk if i made myself understood

[Otilia]

Reading what I wrote above I think I complicated myself :)

I think I will fallow the traceability till the mill and after the label of the scrap will have only the color and the type of granules, the % of additives it is to small to have a influence.

If the auditors will want more, will come with how they want me to do it ... and I will do it in the way they want!

 

Thank you guys ... you were my sounding board! :)

[fcchoi]

just ensure traceability to next available scraps will do, as in our operations with thermoforming, we identify all the scraps with unique stcikers for PP and PS materials accordingly, and when re-used in mixing again for new extrusion, we will include the traceability nos thru the stcikers with assigned lot nos into our extrusion reports

[Otilia]

Thank you Fcchoi! Good idea!

As well, you have COPP and HOPP? 

[neilmilvain]

Hi Otilia

 

Couple of things.  Where the clause mentions 'shall' this means the requirment must be implemented.  As with most product certification standards you are required to implenmnet the requirments are prescribed there is little room for interpretation.

 

Regards the traceability, the standard requires that you have traceability to the best practical level of accuracy.  Which in this case I would suggest could simply be done by knowing the date of manufacture of the scrap material and therefore having traceabaility back to the batches of resin/masterbatch/process aids used at that time.

 

Ultimately you need to be able to demonstrate to the auditor that you have control over the raw materials being used in the product.

 

I'd strongly suggest that you get some training on the implemnetation of the standard as well as risk assessment as this is often an area where sites let themselves down.

 

Regards

Neil Milvain

SGS Global Product Manager - Packaging

BRC/IoP Auditor/ATP

[Otilia]

Hello Neil and thank you for your advice.

 

Kind regards,

Otilia

[Charles.C]

Dear neilmilvain,

 

Thks for the input.

 

 

I'm curious about the meaning of the  ATP membership ?

 

I presume its not the insect chemical / tennis related, and it confounded Google also, although Authorised Training Professional looked just possible.

 

Rgds / Charles.C

[neilmilvain]

Hi Charles,

 

Close! It standard for Approved Training Provider.  The BRC have a scheme to apporve their trainers so only apporved trainers can provide the official BRC materials.

 

regards