National Packing Covenant
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Sustainable Industries Sustainable National Packaging Industries Covenant Queensland achievements 2000 - 2005 The National Packaging Covenant (EnviroCom) The National Packaging Covenant (the The National Environmental Covenant) was launched in August Protection Measure (NEPM) 1999 with the aim of providing more A key regulatory framework called the effective management of used National Environmental Protection packaging materials based on the Measure supports the voluntary principles of shared responsibility Covenant. Designed as a tool to and product stewardship. encourage compliance throughout The Covenant is a voluntary the packaging chain, the NEPM helps agreement between the packaging ensure that signatories meet their supply chain and government. Covenant obligations via action plans Covenant signatories agree to share and reports. responsibility for reducing the Since 2000, more than 600 environmental impacts of packaging. businesses from a broad range of Under the Covenant, raw material industries have been identified as suppliers, designers, manufacturers, meeting the brand owner users, retailers and consumers, as requirements of the NEPM. well as government and collection Companies not entitled to exemption agencies, all accept responsibility for under the NEPM were required to their activities. either become signatories to the The Covenant’s key objectives for the Covenant or to meet the more first five years were to: rigorous regulatory requirements of the NEPM. • Establish a framework, based on the principle of shared With assistance from the responsibility, for the effective Environmental Protection Agency lifecycle management of (EPA), many of these businesses packaging and paper products _ elected to sign the Covenant and are including their recovery and now benefiting from the outcomes utilisation the voluntary process delivers. • Establish a collaborative approach The Covenant in Queensland to ensure that the management of The Queensland Jurisdictional packaging and paper throughout Recycling Group (JRG) administers its lifecycle and the Covenant projects and funding in implementation of collection Queensland. The group is made up of systems, including kerbside representatives from the EPA, the recycling schemes, produce real Department of State Development and sustainable environmental and Innovation, regional local benefits in a cost-effective manner governments, industry associations • Establish a forum for regular and waste and recycling contractors. consultation and discussion of The JRG meets every six weeks to issues and problems affecting the develop key Queensland projects, recovery, utilisation and disposal consider grant applications and of used packaging and paper, provide updates on Covenant including cost activities. ecycling facility at UQ, St Lucia (University of Queensland) (University Lucia facility at UQ, St ecycling R Covenant signatories include: In Queensland Reporting and data • Local Government Association of • There are 51 signatories Measuring and reporting recycling Queensland (LGAQ), representing to the Covenant data is important in the management 125 local governments • Covenant funding has supported of used packaging materials, and 39 separate projects under Queensland legislation, local • Alvey Reels Australia • Funding to the value of $3.6 governments must report waste and million has been awarded • Australian Country Choice Pty Ltd recycling data each year. • Buderim Ginger Since 2000/01, this data has been Key Queensland Projects • Bundaberg Sugar collated annually and published by During the Covenant’s five years, the the EPA as The state of waste and • Capilano Honey Ltd Queensland Government and the recycling in Queensland. • Cenovis Pty Ltd Covenant’s industry signatories have Each year the report captures jointly funded the following projects: • Cooroy Mountain Spring Water Queensland’s recycling performance, • Market Development Grants recording the status of local • Crows Nest Cordials Program for Plastics government resource recovery and • Darling Downs Foods Limited recycling, and highlighting key • North Queensland Recycling initiatives undertaken by state and • Fisher & Paykel Australia Infrastructure Feasibility Project local government, industry and the Holdings Ltd • Best Practice Kerbside Recycling community to improve performance. • Golden Circle Limited Project It also provides a useful reference • Harvest FreshCuts Pty Ltd • Best Practice Kerbside Recycling document regarding Queensland’s • Herron Pharmaceuticals Incentive Grants waste minimisation and recycling issues, identifying the challenges • Local Government Data Collection • Lion Nathan Australia to be met in reducing the amount Protocol • Nerada Tea Pty Ltd of recyclable resources going to • Regional Education Program landfill and using these recoverable • Pixie Ice Cream Pty Ltd • Public Place Recycling / Litter resources more sustainably, now • Parmalat Australia Ltd (formerly Management Grants Scheme and in the future. Pauls Limited) • Transport and Logistics Study and To achieve greater consistency and • Prepared Foods Australia Model accuracy for collecting and reporting data, the LGAQ and EPA have • SunCoast Gold Macadamias • Sustainable Community Based developed a Waste and recycling data (Australia) Ltd Recycling Assistance collection guide. • Weis Australia Pty Ltd • Waste Education Facilities Evaluation Household recycling (kilograms per capita) Total household recycling (000’s tonnes / year) 44.6 Total household recycling 169.2 170.0 (000's tonnes/year) 45 165.0 158.5 44 160.0 155.0 150.4 43 41.6 41.7 41.3 150.0 141.5 42 145.0 41 140.0 135.0 40 130.0 Recycling Rate (kgs/person) 125.0 39 Quantity recycled (000's tonnes) 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 Year Year Towards Best Practice Kerbside Recycling in Queensland The Best Practice Kerbside Recycling • Materials recovery facility (MRF) the program, funding of $2 per Project was developed with the contract service requirements household was made available to primary aim of helping local support community education • Recycling collection service governments develop sustainable initiatives. requirements. kerbside recycling programs by To qualify for funding, local providing training, tools and support Decisions made within the guideline governments must demonstrate: for the adoption of best practice are directly linked to a model kerbside recycling principles. contract, which provides a framework • Increased yield of recyclable for preparing tender documents, materials The guideline Towards Best Practice assessing submissions and drafting Recycling in Queensland takes into • Transparency of cost to rate contracts. account Queensland’s unique payers Best Practice Kerbside situation including dispersed • Sustainable contract costs population, tyranny of distance, Recycling Funding • No market risk to council location of markets, viability and To help local governments to adopt service affordability. the Best Practice Kerbside Recycling In 2001/02, only 45 of Queensland’s The guideline also addresses best model, $1,057,872 has been made 125 local governments reported practice principles for drop-off available through the Covenant. provision of kerbside and/or drop-off recycling services for their recycling centres for those local The amount of funding provided for communities. This figure has now governments that determine that each local government was based on increased to 65, giving 93 percent of kerbside recycling is not sustainable the type of system implemented, Queensland’s population access to in their communities. from $8 per household for mobile bin recycling services. The guideline addresses critical systems to $3 per household for service level decisions including: drop-off centres. • General recycling contract Where best practice had already been requirements achieved prior to commencement of Kerbside collection (Redcliffe City Council) Kerbside recycling bin (EnviroCom) Program participants • Baseline data collection to enable performance auditing of processes In Queensland, the Best Practice and outcomes to determine Kerbside Recycling Program has (EnviroCom) improvements over time provided grants to the following local governments: • Ongoing data collection and analysis for performance • Bowen Shire evaluation • Brisbane City • Customising model contracts and • Bundaberg City assessing their application • Caloundra City • Establishing drop-off centres where kerbside recycling is not a • Douglas Shire viable option • Gold Coast City • Upgrading council-owned • Hervey Bay City materials recovery facilities • Ipswich City • Expanding collection and processing capacity to enable • Livingstone Shire recycling of a wider range of • Mackay City material types • Maroochy Shire • Introducing glass fines recycling • Pine Rivers Shire • Developing and implementing comprehensive community • Redcliffe City education programs • Redland Shire • Developing and evaluating • Thuringowa City purpose-built waste education facilities • Toowoomba City • Promoting services and facilities • Townsville City via advertising campaigns and Best Practice Projects direct mail Local governments have undertaken a • Developing and distributing a range of projects under the Best householder recycling guide Practice Kerbside Recycling Incentives • Recruiting suitably skilled scheme. personnel to ensure effective Some of these include the following: delivery of new services Glass recycling at Hervey Bay MRF (EnviroCom)Glass