Posted on 9-7-2004

Report Challenges Packaging Accord
From Envision, 9 July 2004

Ed. PTV will be producing a programme about the below mentioned
`Government initiative'.

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A new report by Envision New Zealand, “Getting Serious About Packaging
Waste”, criticises the Packaging Accord which is due for signing in August
between the Government and the New Zealand Packaging Council. The Accord
is the latest attempt by Government to address the problem of packaging
waste but according to Envision Manager, Warren Snow, “will simply be a
re-run of the last failed accord signed in 1996”.

Instead it says, Government should bring in Container Deposit Legislation
(CDL) often referred to as a “Bottle Bill” where all beverage containers
have a 5 or 10 cent deposit which is refunded when returned to the point
of sale or to a recycling centre.

“There has been no study of the effectiveness of the first Packaging
Accord signed in 1996, but according to the Government’s New Zealand Waste
Strategy (2002): “the total quantity of packaging waste has increased”.
It is hard then to understand why the Government, in spite of this
failure, would reward the Packaging industry with a second voluntary
accord. If signed, the new Accord could result in another five or even ten
more years of rising packaging waste.”

“Although the new Accord is based on the principles of EPR (Extended
Producer Responsibility), there is nothing in it to compel producers to
reduce packaging waste. Voluntary agreements have been shown around the
world to be ineffective and highly susceptible to manipulation by the
industries they are supposed to regulate”.

“Producers and Consumers should be responsible for the packaging waste
they produce and use. Container Deposit Legislation, (often referred to as
a bottle bill) will help us achieve this and will get beverage containers
out of landfills and off our streets. “Beverage Container Deposits worked
before in New Zealand and can work again”.

Bottle Bills have been enacted in British Columbia, South Australia and
many other parts of the world – where beverage container recovery rates of
80-90% are usual. They have created over 600 new jobs In South Australia
with a population of 1.5million, and would create at least 1,000 new jobs
in New Zealand. Container deposits would practically eliminate roadside
litter and wherever implemented are hugely popular with the public. New
Zealand should look to these examples, rather than another industry-led
voluntary agreement.

“New Zealand should not settle for a repackaged “business as usual”
voluntary accord, when Container Deposit Legislation is far more effective
at reducing packaging waste and puts the responsibility for packaging
where it belongs - back on producers and consumers”.