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Introduction

When you log in to the system, you land on the Dashboard page where you get an overview of the components, devices and products you work with in the platform.

In the platform, products and their packaging are immediately separated from each other to ensure flexibility. If the same packaging is used across multiple products, you can maintain this data in a single place.

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Create product

A product corresponds to the physical product going to market.

Go to the Products tab where you both create and maintain all your products.

In this guide, we use a jam product as an example.

Specify:

• Trademark
• Description of the product
• Product ID
• Net content.

As a GS1 organization, it is our recommendation to identify products with the GTIN. It is optional to provide but essential if you want to share your data with other Trade Packaging users.

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When the jam product is created, you cannot see data fields related to the packaging on the product page.

The data fields on this page are only associated with what is inside the packaging, i.e. the product itself.

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Create the packaging

Go to the Packaging master data tab to add packaging data.

In this example, our jam product consists of a packaging with three components: a lid, a label and the jar itself.

They are created as components in the platform.

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The lid

• Give the component a meaningful name so you can identify the component later. Optionally, include the material type and weight in the name.
• Select the element type, a material type and enter the weight.

Stools

• Give the component a meaningful name
• Select the element type (ex a jar) and the material type (ex glass) and enter the weight of the jar.

Labeling‍

In this example, our label highlights a new feature in GS1Trade Packaging - whether the component is made of a monomaterial or a composite material (composed of multiple material layers).

For composite material, the different layers must be specified.

• At the top is the weight of the entire label.
• Next, the different layers need to be specified - in the example, the label is made of paper, which weighs one gram, and a plastic coating of LDPE, which also weighs one gram.

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Integrated component

Packaging can consist of a main component, integrated components and separate components.

In this example, the label is also a so-called integrated component.

By definition, an integrated component is a packaging component that is not designed to be separated from the main component during waste sorting or transportation.

It is important to connect main components and integrated components before packaging units are assembled - but especially before we environmentally graduate our components. Packaging with integrated components must be environmentally graded together according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

• Go to the main component - the jam jar
• Under the 'Integrated components' tab, click Edit details‍
• Select the embedded component from the list on the right and drag it into the empty field
• In the 'Composite' field, select from the dropdown list how the integrated component is attached to the main component.
• Click Save.

The jar and label are now linked together in the system.

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Next, the jam jar and lid components must be assembled into a packaging unit.

• In the 'Packaging master data' tab, click Create new and create new device.
• Give the device a meaningful name - in this example it is a jam product.
• Specify the type of device - in this example it is a jar.
• Drag the components from the list on the right side into the assembled device.
• When the components are dragged over one by one, the system automatically indicates that there is one piece / quantity of the selected component.

If you are dealing with a package, for example a multipack, where there is more than one component, the number can be adjusted here. However, in this example there is only one component.

Go back to the packaging master data tab to get an overview of all the components and units created. Clicking on the unit shows all the components for the jam product created under the unit.

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Link products and packaging

Packaging and products are created in the system.

There is an option to create an association between the two, which is not necessary but an option.

Packaging that is not attached to a product in the platform can exist in the platform without association.

• Go to the 'Products'tab ‍
• Click on the product in question. The first page you are presented with is 'Associated packaging'.
• Click 'Link to packaging device'. The desired device will be searched and selected.

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In this example, three jam jars of basic products (strawberry, raspberry and orange jam) have been created but only one packaging unit. This is because the same packaging is used for the three products in this example, so it can be assigned to all three.

If the packaging is improved and data needs to be maintained, this only needs to be done in one place across the linked products.

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Create packaging systems

For example, if you know that you always sell your (in this case) jam in packages, you can create the components and unit for this.

Base units and packages initially exist separately in the system, but it is possible to combine or create a relationship between the units.

• Go to the 'Packaging systems' tab.
• Create (for example) 'Jam, multiple flavors'.
• Drag the already created devices from the list on the right into the system as primary, secondary or tertiary packaging.
• Specify how many pallets, packages and base units, for example, are included in the system.

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Companies operate differently. For example, there are differences in how you calculate or have your available quantities. Some companies know exactly how many pallets have been shipped. Others use the number of basic products sold, and then there are some that calculate at package level.

By combining the packaging in these packaging systems and specifying the number of units, you can accurately calculate how much packaging is put on the market across primary, secondary and tertiary packaging.

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Perform environmental grading for packaging components

GS1Trade Packaging makes it possible to environmentally grade the packaging, which is done at component level.

• In this example, the glass is the main component as it is the component that weighs the most.
• The glass has the label as an integrated component - meaning that they are environmentally graded together.
• And the lid is a separate component that is environmentally graded separately.

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Perform the environmental grading

• Start with the main component.
• Specify the parent material category (in this example 'Glass')
• After specifying the material category, a number of design criteria will appear to fill in - Click Edit.
• The following form is based on design requirements from the Environmental Protection Agency's executive order and must be indicated by the values low, medium and high.

NOTE: If you are not familiar with the details of the material, please contact your packaging manufacturer.

• All design criteria are filled in. Click Save.

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Under each material category, the packaging is divided into a number of levels according to the environmental impact of the packaging waste and the component is placed on an overall level: Low, medium or high.

The process is repeated for each component in the device, after which the environmental grading is calculated for the components in the product.

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Practical information

When viewing your components, you have the option to make elements inactive or active. This can be, for example, because you no longer use a given packaging but need to be able to document the history (a function that is part of the legislation).

For the same reason, everything is also logged in the system.

As a user, you can currently see the 'date' and 'user' for both creation and last edit.