Australian Environment Ministers to Set Packaging Waste Limits

MELBOURNE, Australia, December, 6, 2004 (ENS) - A meeting of Australian environment ministers by teleconference Friday made it clear to industry that the amount of packaging waste ending up as rubbish and litter is unacceptable and firm targets to reduce waste will be set. The voluntary National Packaging Covenant is not working effectively, the ministers said, and industry must do better.

New South Wales Environment Minister Bob Debus, who is also the state's attorney general, spoke for the assembled ministers when he said after the meeting, "Ministers were unanimous that before agreeing to extend the voluntary approach for another five years, we must have tough targets that industry must meet. These will be included in a new covenant."

An alliance of major environment groups committed to eliminating packaging waste applauded the state and federal environment ministers. The Boomerang Alliance said the agreement was a welcome first step in ending the waste crisis.

"For too long the community has been cleaning up, picking up and paying for damage from packaging that clogs our waterways and litters our parks, beaches and roadsides," said Ian Kiernan, chairman of Clean Up Australia. It's well overdue that governments make those responsible for packaging waste work with us in dealing with the problem."

Rubbish dumped on bushland is part of the problem. (Photo courtesy Department of Environment and Heritage)

Industry will face enforceable recycling targets for bottles, cardboard boxes and other packaging. The ministers intend to insist on a reduction of packaging waste to landfills and an increase in the use of recycled packaging materials in new products. This will help boost the market for recycled materials, save resources and create new jobs, they said.

The new targets aim to ensure all companies signed up to the Covenant are improving their performance, "not just a handful," they said.

“Victoria and New South Wales strongly supported giving more teeth to the National Packaging Covenant,” said Victoria Environment Minister John Thwaites.

They intend to set a minimum percentage of products to be packaged with recyclable materials, forcing companies to explore better packaging designs.

Total Environment Centre Campaigner Jane Castle welcomed the news that the National Packaging Covenant (NPC) will be boosted with targets. "What we need are practical mechanisms such as landfill bans, deposits, refillables and advanced disposal fees, to tackle packaging waste. Targets will be meaningless if there are no programs in place to reach them," said Castle.

The National Packaging Covenant is the leading instrument for managing packaging waste in Australia. It was signed by the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council Ministers, local governments, and a broad range of industries in the packaging supply chain in August 1999.

Residents of Kingston, Victoria pick up litter on Clean Up Australia Day (Photo courtesy City of Kingston)

Environment Victoria Zero Waste Campaign Director Jenny Henty said a Newspoll survey released today showed 91 percent of respondents thought governments should make those responsible for packaging waste deal with the mess.

"Consumers are faced with an ever growing avalanche of waste and today's agreement ensures industry will be held to account. Ministers Debus and Thwaites are to be commended," said Henty.

The ministers also decided Friday that the nationwide phaseout of plastic bags would become part of the National Packaging Covenant.

The Boomerang Alliance said the next step must be for the NPC Council and industry members to negotiate with green groups and local government.

One industry NPC member says it is working diligently to reduce packaging waste. 3M Australia Pty Ltd has set its own target to reduce waste per pound of product by 25 percent using 2000 base year, and improve energy efficiency per pound of product by 20 percent using a 2000 base year. 3M Australia says both those targets should be reached by June 2005.