CR 12340:1996

Overview

CR 12340:1996 - Packaging: Recommendations for conducting life-cycle inventory analysis of packaging systems is a CEN technical recommendation that guides practitioners on preparing a life-cycle inventory (LCI) specifically for packaging systems. The standard - adopted in Slovenia as SIST CR 12340:1998 - sets out recommended approaches to define, collect and document the inventory data needed for packaging life‑cycle assessment (LCA) and environmental evaluation.

Key topics

While the full text is not provided here, CR 12340:1996 is focused on LCI best practices for packaging and typically addresses the following technical topics and recommendations:

• Goal and scope definition for packaging LCI, including the functional unit and system boundaries
• Data collection procedures for material inputs, manufacturing energy, transport, use phase and end‑of‑life flows (reuse, recycling, incineration, landfill)
• Process mapping and unit processes to represent packaging production, filling, distribution and disposal stages
• Allocation rules for multi-output systems and recycled content handling in packaging streams
• Data quality assessment (temporal, geographic and technological representativeness) and uncertainty considerations
• Documentation and reporting requirements to ensure transparency and reproducibility of inventory results
• Examples of inventory flows typical for packaging systems (materials, energy, emissions, waste) and guidance on data sources

(These topics reflect the standard’s intent to harmonize how packaging LCIs are prepared and reported.)

Applications

CR 12340:1996 is practical for organizations and projects that need consistent, transparent inventory data for packaging-related environmental analysis:

• Packaging designers and manufacturers - to quantify environmental impacts of material choices and design alternatives
• LCA practitioners and consultants - to prepare robust LCIs for comparative studies or product declarations
• Brand owners and supply‑chain managers - to support ecological product design, ecolabeling and sustainability reporting
• Policy makers and regulators - to inform packaging waste policy, recycling targets and eco‑design guidelines
• Recyclers and waste‑management planners - to model end‑of‑life scenarios and material flows

Using this standard helps produce comparable LCI datasets that improve decision making for design‑for‑environment, packaging optimization and life‑cycle based environmental reporting.

Related standards

• ISO 14040 / 14044 (Life cycle assessment principles and requirements) - commonly referenced for LCA framework and methodology
• Regional or national packaging and waste standards and regulations (see local CEN/ISO adoptions)

Keywords: packaging, life‑cycle inventory, LCI, LCA, packaging systems, CR 12340:1996, CEN, packaging life cycle, inventory analysis.