The UP Scorecard version 1.0 is here — and it’s better than ever!

After four years of beta testing, feedback from users, and many improvements, the first fully complete version of the Understanding Packaging (UP) Scorecard has been released. Since 2021, the UP Scorecard has supported the comprehensive assessment of the human and environmental health impacts of foodware and food packaging to encourage more sustainable decision-making. We are excited to share version 1.0 with you and hope you enjoy using it!

What’s new in the UP Scorecard?

Updated chemicals of concern list: The chemicals of concern list in the latest version of the UP Scorecard has been updated to use a more robust and transparent data-based approach that reflects the latest publicly available hazard data for the universe of known food contact chemicals. The identified chemicals of concern are based on peer-reviewed information from the Food Packaging Forum’s FCCdb, FCCmigex, and FCChumon databases, which bring together publicly accessible chemical data. The new and improved Food Contact Chemicals Priority (FCCprio) List helps users avoid chemicals of concern identified to have health hazards including: persistence, mobility, bioaccumulation, carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, reproductive toxicity, specific target organ toxicity upon repeated exposure, or endocrine disruption. The chemicals are further prioritized into four tiers based on published evidence for human exposure and migration from food contact materials.

 

Compare portfolios: Previously, the UP Scorecard introduced the ability to create product portfolios that represent an entire business unit, such as restaurants or regional offerings, and benchmark them with the best and worst alternative portfolios when users are logged in. In the latest version, users can now compare user-defined product portfolios to each other, as well as to the best and worst alternative portfolios. This functionality allows users to track progress over time and to forecast sustainability gains when switching to alternative portfolios. This version also introduces new key performance indicators for portfolios, including land use, waste diversion, share of reusable items, and share of single-use plastics, which provide useful data to support decision-making about alternative foodware and food packaging options.

Other new features:

• New materials available for building custom products, including melamine, steel, and silicon rubber
• New container types available to score, including pizza boxes
• “Ecoville” added as a new geographic region; this imaginary sustainable city represents an ideal model of good practices and can be used as a helpful benchmark for portfolio assessments 

For a more detailed overview of these and other new features and updates, see the UP Scorecard’s change log. An updated methodology document has also been published that explains in detail the data sources and calculations used to arrive at each product score.

What’s next for the UP Scorecard?

With the launch of this first fully complete version of the tool, future developments will focus on adding new materials, products, and regions to build out the UP Scorecard universe. Changes may also be made to reflect feedback on functionality and improve the user interface. While no major updates to the methodology or scoring approach are currently planned, we will continue to monitor scientific developments within the field to ensure the UP Scorecard remains accurate and up-to-date.

The SUM’D team thanks everyone who shared feedback with us when developing the UP Scorecard. If you have any thoughts on this new version, please submit them using this online form or contact us.