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Plastic Packaging Tax
For those of us working within the packaging industry, the plastic packaging tax is currently the most pressing issue. The plastic packaging tax forms a part of the EU’s Green Deal, a comprehensive package of tax and non-tax measures. The UK government’s aim is to tackle the global issue of plastic pollution through the implementation of the tax on plastic packaging that contains less than 30% recycled plastic content, from 1st April 2022. Other European countries, such as, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain have also set out intentions to implement measures to reduce plastic use. Within this blog, we set out to clarify the scope and implications of the UK plastic packaging tax (PPT), and cover the proposed measures set out by other EU countries. The Benchmark cloud has now been updated to cater for the new UK plastic packaging tax, making it easier for the producers and buyers of packaging to keep track of the new regulation and its impact on business operations.
How the false consensus effect eats up your profit
How the false consensus effect eats up your profit We succumb to it in our private lives and at work. Whole departments and companies can fall into its clutches. The false consensus effect, discovered by Lee Ross and published with two colleagues in 1977, describes...
Channeling Your Inner Picasso
Cost Engineering is often described as part science and part art. The science aspect is easily observed. We all understand the importance of collecting, normalizing, and analyzing historical data to support estimating a future program. We can all proficiently navigate the lake of R2s, coefficients of variation, regression equations, and the like. But what about the art of cost engineering?
BORROWING LEAN MANUFACTURING CONCEPTS FROM THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
In this interview, Society of Cost Engineers founder Jerry Collins explains to Flexpipe project manager Temie Fessa how modular material handling systems have helped him maximize efficiency and profits.
CFOs – Are They Vanguards or Villains?
The CFOs who are bold will candidly describe their managerial accounting practices and systems as aged and Medieval at the extreme. The bold ones are unafraid to admit that their existing reported information is both flawed with inaccurate costs and incomplete by not providing P&Ls by customer including channel, selling, customer service, and marketing related “costs to serve” which are arguably more important than product costs.
How to Address Supply Chain Disruptions in Ukraine and Beyond
The war in Ukraine, and corresponding economic sanctions against Russia, are tightening the supply of critical resources, shutting factories, and fueling inflation. And pressure from the private sector is cutting Soviet exports even further. Volkswagen and other global brands are closing factories in the region, Boeing is suspending orders for Russian titanium, and SWIFT is blocking some Russian banks from its financial network, which could prevent cash-strapped Russian suppliers from shipping goods.
This new chapter of supply chain instability requires executives to reevaluate their options quickly to maintain production and defend against margin pressure. Here’s how some companies are using manufacturing intelligence to identify immediate alternatives.