Packaging Accord

10 August 2004

Local Government will monitor the types and amount of packaging that turn up at landfills to help measure the effectiveness of the New Zealand Packaging Accord, which was launched today.

Local Government New Zealand is a partner in the voluntary Accord and will co-ordinate the local government sector plan, which will help implement the Accord.

“The Accord will help reduce the amount of waste from packaging that turns up at your local tip,” says Local Government New Zealand President Basil Morrison, who today signed the Accord on behalf of the local government sector.

“Local Government New Zealand has a place on the Governing Board for the Accord – which will help us ensure progress for our sector, as well as monitoring the progress of the other sectors.”

According to Basil Morrison, a critical feature of the new accord is that the producers of the packaging (the brand owners, retailers and importers) are involved for the first time.

Each sector which is a party to the Accord has prepared a Sector Action Plan. These plans provide detail on the measures each sector will undertake and contain joint and sector targets to be achieved over the five-year period of the Accord. These targets are measurable and will be publicly available via the Packaging Council’s website (www.packaging.org.nz).

“Under its sector Action Plan local government has a critical role in measuring changes in the amount and type of packaging material in rubbish,” said Mr Morrison. “A decrease in the amount of packaging per capita over time will be one of the important indicators of the success of the Accord.

“Councils already have a major role in recycling, but the Accord will enable us to work more closely with manufacturers and recyclers to help develop markets for recovered packaging material. The plan also calls for all councils to have adequate recycling provisions in their waste management plans and to work to meet agreed recycling targets.”

Mr Morrison said local government was pleased to be part of the Accord and would work hard for its success.

ENDS

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