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New Zealand Packaging Accord 2004: Local Government Sector Action Plan

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1. Introduction

Local Government New Zealand is an endorsing party of the Packaging Accord 2004. Our endorsement status demonstrates the commitment of our sector to working with the principal parties to the Accord - the Packaging Council of New Zealand (on behalf of brand owners, retailers/importers and packaging manufacturers) and the Ministry for the Environment (on behalf of the Government) — to achieve the outcomes sought from the Accord.

This sector action plan has been prepared through consultation with councils across New Zealand and has been endorsed by our National Council.

2. About this sector

Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is an important part of the New Zealand Packaging Accord. Not only can we help determine the type and volume of packaging material collected at kerbside and transfer stations through contracts with waste management companies, collectors and recyclers, but we are a major purchaser contributing 3 percent of New Zealand’s GDP in 2002 which means we have a significant economic, environmental and social footprint.

Local Government is also an important part of the Accord because of the work already being done by many councils to address the issues of the volume of waste being produced in New Zealand. Many councils are actively involved in waste minimisation initiatives and in programmes designed to help stimulate the recovered materials market. We need to encourage this work to continue and to look for new ways to address the issues associated with packaging.

3. This sector action plan

As part of the process, all parties to the Accord have prepared sector action plans. Sectors represented in the Accord are:

  1. Aluminium
  2. Brand Owners and Retailers
  3. Central Government
  4. Glass
  5. Local Government New Zealand
  6. Paper
  7. Plastics
  8. Recycling Operators of New Zealand
  9. Steel

This sector action plan identifies the contribution that the sector and the organisations it represents will make to the achievement of New Zealand Packaging Accord 2004 objective and, in so doing, related aspects of the New Zealand Waste Strategy.

It reflects the collaborative approach of the Accord process, which encourages all parties to work towards achieving a common objective and, of necessity, acknowledges that there are different ways of doing this.

Each party to this plan has agreed to the implementation of the activities/outcomes it lists as a minimum commitment to the Accord. The actions agreed to within the sector are detailed in the tables that follow, along with the timeframe the sector has to plan, implement and, where stated, achieve each of its commitments.

4. Parties to this plan

Local Government New Zealand is the national voice of local government and a champion of best practice in the sector. As an endorsing party to the Accord we sign the Accord on behalf of councils across New Zealand.

5. What this sector action plan contains

The sector has agreed to address all eight Accord measures of progress as listed below. It was agreed that not every measure will be equally applicable to individuals within the sector. However, as the areas are interconnected they should be read and interpreted in a synergistic manner. The measures for action are:

  1. Mass balance data
  2. Trends of annual estimated packaging waste to landfill (or other disposal methods) per person
  3. Packaging design and procurement
  4. Development of sustainable markets for reused and recycled packaging materials
  5. Programmes to achieve national targets (including plastic shopping bag reduction target)
  6. Consumer information and involvement
  7. Accord promotion
  8. In-house waste reduction and resource recovery.

In general, during the first two years of the Accord (Years 1 and 2) the sector will work towards benchmarking its activities and progress. In the last three years (Years 3-5) there is an expectation of improvements being made. The sector will work with all other sectors to reduce the consumption of packaging and improve its recovery. It will report annually on the activities listed in this sector action plan.

6. Sector action plan activities

1. MASS BALANCE DATA (CLAUSE 20)

PAC.NZ will report aggregates annually on behalf of brand owners, retailers and packaging manufacturer groups. Weights of packaging materials consumed and recycled will be collected and presented in formats used since 1994, thus allowing year-by-year comparisons. Reporting methodology will be improved and data will be independently reviewed.

Commitment
Activities
Year
Organisation Contribute to packaging consumption (including imports) and collection data.    
Sector Collate data by packaging types by sector.    
Joint

Improve/revise format for mass balance data to achieve transparency.

PAC.NZ reports annually.

Independent review of PAC.NZ findings.

 Councils will supply the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) with kerbside recycling data in order to assist verification of annual mass balance data collected by PAC.NZ and to help improve methodology. Years 1-5

2. TRENDS OF ANNUAL ESTIMATED PACKAGING WASTE TO LANDFILL PER PERSON (CLAUSE 21)

Annual estimates of packaging waste to landfill (or other disposal method) per person by material (paper, plastic, glass, steel, aluminium, composites) and in aggregate, by weight. An eventual reduction in these rates will be one of the important indicators of the Accord’s success.

Commitment
Activities
Year
Organisation Collect data and report findings to all sectors on packaging types. LGNZ will encourage all councils to make their data available to MfE. Years 1-5
Sector Improve packaging format for Solid Waste Analysis Protocol (SWAP). LGNZ will work with MfE to introduce the sub-categories of packaging and non-packaging waste to SWAP surveys. Years 1-2
LGNZ will encourage councils to implement the revised SWAP methodology which takes account of packaging and non-packaging waste. Years 2-5
Joint Decrease per capita rates of packaging waste to landfill. Councils will provide MfE with any data they have to report on this commitment. Years 1-5

3. PACKAGING DESIGN AND PROCUREMENT (CLAUSE 22)

Annual sector action plan reports will document:

  • Packaging design: a drive for sustainability in packaging design by creating and participating in better design industry training programmes, reviewing new and existing packaging against codes of practice, cooperating with the resource recovery sector during packaging design, and dealing with non-compliance with the PAC.NZ Code of Practice
  • Packaging procurement: improving policies and practices by adhering to codes of practice for sustainable packaging procurement and through supply chain initiatives.
Commitment
Activities
Year
Organisation

Initiatives to improve policies and practices using a code of practice for sustainable packaging procurement.

Work with key suppliers to improve the sustainability of their packaging.

LGNZ will work with MfE to:

  • increase procurement officers’ understanding of problems of packaging waste, and positively influence packaging/packaged goods procurement strategies
 Years 1-2
  • develop guidelines for eco-efficient procurement of packaging/packaged goods by local government
 Years 3-5
  • work on syndicated procurement of packaging/packaged goods (packaging).
Years 3-5
Sector

Report the number/percentage of organisations working on policies and practices for sustainable packaging procurement.

Report the number/percentage of organisations working with key suppliers to improve the sustainability of their packaging.

Report on actions for sustainability of packaging design.

    
Joint Develop a code of practice for sustainable packaging procurement.    

4. DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE MARKETS FOR REUSED AND RECYCLED PACKAGING MATERIALS (CLAUSE 23)

Closing the loop on waste by developing and fostering sustainable markets for reused and recycled packaging materials. Annual sector action plan reports will document co-operative ventures between industry sectors, identify any barriers to, and any frameworks supporting, sustainable resource efficiency industries in New Zealand, and any results from joint initiatives.

Commitment
Activities
Year
Organisation Develop purchasing policies that encourage the use of recovered materials.

LGNZ will work with MfE to:

  • raise awareness amongst procurement officers that local and central government can “create” markets through syndicated government procurement, with the aim of purchasing more products with recycled content
Years 1-2
  • utilise government procurement to create markets through the influence of syndicated government procurement strategies.
Years 3-5
Sector Report the number/percentage of companies/organisations with purchasing policies that encourage the use of recovered materials. LGNZ will collect information from all councils on whether they have purchasing policies that encourage the use of recovered materials. Years 1-5
Joint Work with other sectors to develop and support sustainable markets for recovered packaging materials. LGNZ will work collaboratively with other sectors on identifying barriers to, and projects and mechanisms to improve, recovered materials markets, including the possible introduction of levies or other financial incentives. Years 1-2

5. PROGRAMMES TO ACHIEVE NATIONAL TARGETS (CLAUSE 24)

The following are 2008 national recycling targets for recovery of packaging materials (by weight as a percentage of consumption):

  • Aluminium 65%
  • Glass 55%
  • Paper 70%
  • Steel 43%
  • Plastic 23%

All sectors will review these targets and materials within two years of signing the Accord. A plastic shopping bag reduction target, by quantity, will be identified in the Brand Owners and Retailers Sector Action Plan.

Commitment
Activities
Year
Organisation Contribute to recovery and recycling systems.

LGNZ will:

  • work with councils to ensure that recycling provisions in waste management plans are adequate
  • collaborate with other sectors to determine the best process for establishing recycling at public events and in public spaces
  • collaborate with other sectors to identify improvements for the recovery of post production/post consumer packaging waste
  • collaborate with RONZ and central government to identify options to improve kerbside recycling contracts
  • encourage councils to participate in programmes such as Keep New Zealand Beautiful and Clean Up New Zealand to help manage litter issues
  • explore options for litter management, such as development of a good practice guide.
Years 1-5
Sector

Meet agreed national recycling targets.

Use mass balance (and SWAP) data to track and report progress against targets.

LGNZ will work collaboratively with the MfE to:

  • pursue targets as stated in the New Zealand Waste Strategy 2002
  • assess achievement of targets
 Years 1 & 2
  • reach targets as stated in the New Zealand Waste Strategy 2002.

LGNZ will advocate that MfE consider implementing financial incentives to assist local government to meet agreed recycling targets.

Years 3-5
Joint

Identify and address recovery issues.

Meet agreed national recycling targets.

LGNZ will:

  • work with all sectors to identify issues
  • develop programmes to address issues
  • establish communication channels to notify recyclers of significant changes in packaging material
  • reach recycling targets by 2008
  • explore the use of financial incentives and regulatory measures to assist all parties to the Accord to meet recycling targets.
 Years 1-5

6. CONSUMER INFORMATION AND INVOLVEMENT (CLAUSE 25)

Ways of informing consumers and involving them in sustainable packaging design and packaging resource recovery programmes must be developed. Consumers must be made more aware of packaging issues and empowered to act on their decisions about packaging purchases, recovery and disposal.

Commitment
Activities
Year
Organisation Implement relevant parts of the programme.   Years 1-5
Sector Assess programme and develop an implementation strategy.

LGNZ will work with MfE on strategies which could be used to promulgate consumer information.

Councils will look for opportunities within current and planned consumer information strategies to include messages related to packaging.

Years 1-5
Joint Develop a communication strategy for consumer information on the Accord.

Establish a representative working group to:

  • Identify the critical components in educational material, cost-effective means for delivering messages and a timeline for implementation of activities. (This group should consider the timeframe over which educational materials will be produced and delivered and the date for review and modification of any programme).
  • Review and evaluate existing educational material and programmes. Also identify other specific opportunities that will support the Accord generally, and the sectors in particular.
  • Identify aspects which are consistent or inconsistent with Accord objectives and amend/delete them where they serve no other or a redundant purpose. Where programmes are consistent with objectives, critical factors are to be promoted and included in current and new programmes.
  • Develop clear, generic messages capable of implementation by all sector groups and appropriate for scaling to the size of individual operations. There should not only be consistency of message but also consistency of delivery.
  • Ensure that generic messages are aligned with existing material.
  • Identify and act on opportunities related to the New Zealand Waste Strategy and other programmes, such as lifeafterwaste.
  • Identify effective ways of conveying information about packaging and the PACNZ Code of Practice for the Packaging of Consumer Goods and the complaints procedures it contains.

Inform consumers about the need for and the role of packaging eg. health and safety, tampering/pilfering, social and economic issues, its contribution to the total solid waste stream, levels of packaging recovery and recycling, the environmental footprint of packaging types, gains made in packaging performance and recovery to date and the part consumers can play in the Accord.

 Years 1-2
Monitor and review results and improve consumer information and education strategies as required.

Years 3-5

7. ACCORD PROMOTION (CLAUSE 26)

Ensuring target sector and consumer audiences know about the Accord and that its issues involve them, as well as ensuring they understand the commitments embodied in sector action plans. It is also important to promote and recognise excellence in environmentally acceptable packaging.

Commitment
Activities
Year
Organisation Promote the Accord within the company/organisation.   Years 1-5
Sector Promote the Accord within the sector.

Local government will actively participate in implementing the communications strategy.

Councils will look for opportunities to promote the Accord through current programmes such as environment awards.

 Years 1-5
Joint

Work with other sectors to promote the Accord.

Target audiences:

  • signatories to the Accord (sector groups)
  • entire packaged goods industry (internal and external)
  • local government
  • central government
  • supply chain
  • media
  • consumers.

Develop concise and consistent messages for promotion within extended sector groups.

Promote and encourage participation in environmental awards programmes such as the Environmentally Acceptable Packaging Awards (PAC.NZ) and the Green Ribbon Awards (MfE).

Provide ongoing assessment of the delivery of these messages.

Years 1-5

8. IN-HOUSE WASTE REDUCTION AND RESOURCE RECOVERY (CLAUSE 27)

Promoting in-house waste reduction and resource recovery across sectors and reporting annually on any initiatives.

Commitment
Activities
Year
Organisation Initiatives to reduce waste and improve resource recovery.

LGNZ will work with councils to:

  • ensure they are “walking the talk” and have in-house environmental policies and plans
  • reduce packaging waste per head of staff as part of the key goals stated in councils’ in-house environmental policies and plans
  • undertake regular waste audits within councils to assess whether goals set by in-house environmental policies and plans are being met.
 Years 1-5
Sector Report the number/percentage of organisations with initiatives. LGNZ will coordinate progress reports that each council is making. Years 1-5
Joint (no joint commitment)