Product stewardship

Topics on this page

• What is Product Stewardship?
• E-waste: Television and Computer Recycling
  
• Packaging: The Australian Packaging Covenant
• Beverage Containers: Container Deposit Legislation (CDL)
• Newspapers and Magazines: Publishers National Environment Bureau scheme
• Plastic Bags
  
• Other Product Stewardship Schemes

Overview

Product stewardship is an approach that recognises that participants in various stages of a product's life cycle share responsibility for the environmental impacts of that product.  Product stewardship is one of the guiding principles contained in section 1H of the Environment Protection Act 1970 and is defined as follows:

Producers and users of goods and services have a shared responsibility with Government to manage the environmental impacts throughout the life cycle of the goods and services, including the ultimate disposal of any wastes.

Product Stewardship can take many forms, including sustainable design and manufacturing initiatives, supply chain initiatives, or ‘take back’ programs at the end of a product’s life. They can also be voluntary, or supported by regulation. Product Stewardship is often a preferred policy mechanism because it places obligations on those directly responsible for the environmental impacts of production and consumption.

Product Stewardship in Australia
Several product stewardship programs have been running at the state and national level for some time. For example, national schemes exist for packaging materials, newsprint (see below), oil and mobile phones. Victoria also works closely with industry to trial and develop schemes for products including computers, batteries, mercury containing lights and paint. Please visit the Sustainability Victoria website for details.

Product stewardship schemes usually have the greatest effect when applied nationally. The Australian Government is currently developing product stewardship legislation to provide a consistent legislative framework for national schemes.  The legislation will provide for the accreditation of schemes and will provide ‘free rider’ protection to ensure that companies taking responsibility for their products are not disadvantaged by those who do not.

For further information on the development of the legislation, please visit www.environment.gov.au website.

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E-waste: Television and Computer Recycling

Television and computer recycling is a significant community and environmental issue. While several electronic waste (e-waste) recycling options currently exist in Victoria (such as ByteBack - the computer recycling scheme) television and computer recycling rates remain low. However, this is set to change.

Televisions and computers will be the first products to be regulated under the national product stewardship legislation expected to be introduced in 2011. Under the computer and television scheme, all manufacturers and importers of televisions and computers will be required to take responsibility for the collection and recycling of their products. The scheme is currently being developed.

Details of the scheme are available from www.environment.gov.au website, and you can subscribe to a newsletter providing regular updates.

Fact sheet on how to dispose of your television and computer before the scheme is introduced. (PDF 38KB)

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Packaging: The Australian Packaging Covenant

The Australian Packaging Covenant www.packagingcovenant.org.au builds on 10 years of efforts by industry and government to reduce the environmental impacts of packaging. The Covenant is a product stewardship program as it requires all signatories to share responsibility for delivering improved environmental outcomes.

Signatories produce action plans outlining how they will contribute to the Covenant’s objectives against set key performance indicators, and report performance annually. Brand owners are expected to adhere to the Sustainable Packaging Guidelines – to guide the design and manufacture of packaging – as part of their Covenant commitments.

The Covenant has played an important role in increasing the packaging recycling rate from 39% in 2003 to 63.1% in 2011. The Covenant also invests over $5 million per annum in programs including recycling, research and litter reduction programs around the country.

While the Covenant is voluntary, laws apply to non-signatories to ensure they do not obtain a competitive advantage over signatories that are committed to product stewardship. In Victoria, the applicable law is the Waste Management Policy (Used Packaging Materials).

The Victorian Government is itself a signatory to the Covenant, The Victorian Government’s commitments in support of the Covenant are set out in its Action Plan 2011-2015. (PDF 125KB), and are reported against in its 2011 Annual Report. (PDF 162KB)

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Beverage Containers: Container Deposit Legislation (CDL)

Container Deposit Legislation (CDL) refers to laws that mandate the charging of deposits for drink containers.

CDL has been proposed in various states, including Victoria, since the 1970s when beverage companies began to phase out their own deposit schemes as single use bottles replaced multi-use bottles. South Australia remains the only Australian jurisdiction to have introduced CDL. 

Environment ministers from around Australia are currently considering the need for further action to reduce litter from drink containers and other packaging and increase the recycling of these wastes. This investigation is being driven by both resource efficiency considerations and the need to address the amenity impacts of litter. CDL is one of the options being considered. 

CDL could be expensive because of the transaction costs involved in claiming deposits. These costs would ultimately be borne by households as costs are passed on from drink companies, shops and transport and recycling operators.  It may be that there are other, cheaper options to reduce little and increase recycling. 

Victoria has a very successful kerbside recycling system (where residents place their recycling out for weekly or fortnightly collection). This is an easy and convenient way for householders to put out all of their recyclable goods – including drink containers - for regular collection and it diverts a wide range of materials for recycling.  We need to understand the potential impact of the introduction of CDL on kerbside recycling.

In 2008/09, kerbside recycling in Victoria removed more than 104 kg per capita of packaging materials and newspapers from the total solid waste stream.  This makes Victoria’s system the best performing in Australia.  Victoria’s kerbside system collects around the same amount as South Australia’s kerbside and container deposit systems combined.

Litter is a visible sign of pollution and remains one of our major environmental problems.  The Victorian Government is committed to addressing this problem. Last year the Government released a Litter Strategy which will guide Victoria’s litter prevention efforts.  You can read the new strategy

On 7 March the Premier announced a $6 million package to implement the Strategy and achieve our target of reducing littering across Victoria by 25 per cent within the next five years. Key initiatives in the package include funding for expanded public place recycling, implementing an education and behaviour change campaign and funding to support local government litter prevention officers.

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Newspapers and Magazines: Publishers National Environment Bureau scheme

The Publishers National Environment Bureau (PNEB) represents major Australian newspapers and magazines and Norske Skog Australia, the world’s second largest producer of newsprint. Since 1992 PNEB has committed to voluntary environmental initiatives including newsprint recycling. Throughout the 2000s, the newsprint recycling rate has been around (or above) 75% - amongst the highest in the world.

The PNEB scheme is touted as a successful early example of product stewardship which now extends to commitments including sourcing sustainable materials, supply chain initiatives and water and energy initiatives. For details visit www.pneb.com.au

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Plastic bags

Victorians use around 1 billion lightweight plastic checkout bags each year. Plastic bags use valuable resources and contribute to our litter stream. They provide a short-term convenience with long-term impacts. Many supermarkets, local councils and community groups have already reduced their use of plastic bags, but we can do more.

During August and September 2008, a trial 10 cent charge was placed on plastic checkout bags from Coles, Bi-Lo, Safeway and IGA in Warrnambool, Wangaratta and around Fountain Gate. During the trial period, shoppers cut plastic bag use by 79%. Further information on the trial is available from the Resource Smart website.
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Agencies and stakeholders around Australia continue to explore options to reduce the use of plastic bags and to better manage those plastic bags that are used.

Reducing plastic bag use is seen as something simple that everyone can do. Every individual can reduce their use of plastic bags in supermarkets and shops, reuse and recycle the bags they do use, and dispose of bags responsibly so they don’t end up as litter.

For more information for households and businesses, including a Life Cycle Analysis report on different types of shopping bags, visit the Sustainability Victoria website.

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Other Product Stewardship Schemes

The Towards Zero Waste strategy sets out the strategic framework for waste management in Victoria. It contains a list of priority products and materials that focus efforts on areas with the greatest need for improvement. Product stewardship schemes are already in place for some priority materials such as computers and packaging (see above). However, other schemes are being developed by Sustainability Victoria. For details visit the Sustainability Victoria website
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