Packaging Council progress report on waste

11th June 2007

NEWS RELEASE

Packaging Council welcomes long awaited progress report on waste management

The Packaging Council says the long awaited progress report on waste management confirms that voluntary product stewardship schemes such as the Packaging Accord are playing a major role in minimising and managing waste in New Zealand.

However the report also highlights that although 97 percent of people have access to domestic recycling facilities either at kerbside or drop-off, the level and type of services provided across the country remains highly variable.

Paul Curtis, Executive Director of the Packaging Council said that more packaging is now recovered than goes to landfill and this progress is acknowledged in the report:

“The packaged goods industry was on board the bus early when it signed the Packaging Accord in 2004 with local and central government and recycling operators with agreed targets for recycling, sustainable product design and getting New Zealanders on board. We are delivering on this.

“I agree with the report’s recommendations that local authorities need to show greater leadership in enabling people to do the right thing. For example only a few councils collect commonly used plastic containers such as ice cream and margarine containers. Why don’t the rest? There is a large and growing demand for plastic packaging, with high demand both from overseas and from a new generation of New Zealand based plastics processors who are prepared to pay very good prices. We support the Minister’s desire to promote on-shore recycling and to increase the variety of material diverted from landfill.”

“The report also acknowledges that packaging waste comprises about 12% of municipal waste whilst the big hitters are organic waste (including food scraps) and construction & demolition waste. The report is absolutely right in identifying that whilst these were a major part of the Waste Strategy, far more effort needs to be put into minimising these waste streams which still represent almost half our waste to landfill”

New Zealand is not alone in this. The UK Government has just set national targets for recycling and composting of household waste (40% by 2010) and recovery of municipal waste (53% by 2010).

This latest report is consistent with the conclusions of the recent Office of the Auditor General’s report into waste management planning by territorial authorities. This says that too much emphasis on how to deal with waste and too little effort spent on reducing it has led to councils that are too focused on waste diversion and waste disposal activities.

Mr Curtis says the packaged goods industry will meet its Accord targets and looks forward to agreeing new targets post 2008 when the current “contract” runs out:

“One of the most compelling reasons driving sustainable behaviour for business and for individuals is cost reduction and this is behind every decision our members make - including the decision to send material to landfill. This year we will celebrate the Packaging Council’s 5th Environmental Packaging Awards and these show just how much industry has moved towards designing packaging which not only protects and preserves the product but has been produced to much higher environmental standards. This shows our code of practice for packaging is having the desired effect.”

The packaged goods industry is strongly supportive of voluntary product stewardship which motivates industry to achieve the best outcomes at the least cost.

Under the Packaging Accord:-

- We are recovering more packaging than goes to landfill;

- All packaging types are significantly lighter than they were 10 years ago;

- Success is evident:-
o We have one of the highest rates of paper recovery in the world;
o Steel is funding a major public awareness campaign;
o Glass has introduced the first voluntary levy to develop alternative uses with over $2million raised;
o Plastics recovery is twice that of consumption;
o Aluminium consumption has reduced by 13% (850 tonnes or 1400 small cars)
o Supermarkets have taken 14 million bags out of circulation and reduced the plastic consumption by 8% (434 tonnes) and are launching a major public awareness campaign; and
o Brand owners have introduced world leading application of bar code data to improve accuracy of consumption information.

ENDS

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