The National Packaging Covenant is the self regulatory agreement for managing packaging waste in Australia. If affects all companies in the printing industry linked to the packaging chain.
It is a self-regulatory agreement between industries in the packaging chain and all spheres of government, based on the principles of shared responsibility through product stewardship, and applied throughout the packaging chain, from raw material suppliers to retailers, and the ultimate disposal of waste packaging.
The first Covenant had a life-span of five years which ended in July 2005. The second Covenant covers the period to June 2010. The second Covenant incorporates the changes made to strengthen the model to achieve substantially improved performance. It is not prescriptive, does not tell companies how to make their packaging or what type of packaging to use; nor does it implement regulation requiring businesses to take back materials recovered from kerbside recycling collection programs.
The goals of the Covenant are to minimise the environmental impacts of consumer packaging waste throughout the entire life cycle of the packaging product, close the recycling loop, develop economically viable and sustainable recycling collection systems and ensure that the voluntary process continues.
To participate in the Covenant, organisations become signatories to the Covenant, develop an Action Plan and contribute to the Industry Transitional Funding Arrangements.A National Environment Protection Measure on Used Packaging Materials (NEPM) has been approved, to ensure Covenant signatories are not disadvantaged in the market place.
The Covenant is designed to minimise the environmental impacts arising from the disposal of used packaging, conserve resources through better design and production processes and facilitate the re-use and recycling of used packaging materials. The Covenant establishes a framework for the effective life cycle management of consumer packaging and paper products that will be delivered through a collaborative approach between all sectors of the packaging supply chain, consumers, collectors, reprocessors and all spheres of government.
It acknowledges the significant investment made by all stakeholders to date, and enshrines the responsibilities of all relevant stakeholders within this collaborative approach.
Click here to find out what you need to do to become a signatory to the Covenant.
Click here to view Action Plans of signatory companies.
Click here to view the Industry Fund table showing contributions by turnover for company signatories. Please note that company signatories are required to make annual contributions over the five year life span of the Covenant.
PRESENTATIONS ON THE SECOND NATIONAL PACKAGING COVENANT
Click here to view presentations that have been given on the new National Packaging Covenant.
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2nd National Packaging Covenant (pdf - 351.1 kb)
Covering the period 15 July 2005 - 30 June 2010 |
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