Product stewardship

Topics on this page

• Overview
• The National Packaging Covenant
• Container Deposit Legislation (CDL)
• Plastic Bags

Overview

Product stewardship is an approach that recognizes that participants in the various stages of a product's life cycle share some responsibility for the environmental impacts of that product.  It is one of the guiding principles contained in section 1H of the Environment Protect 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.

One way that the EPA uses the product stewardship principles is through Landfill Ban Classifications, which are issued for various waste streams  when viable reuse and recycling opportunities are identified.

Victoria works closely with the Commonwealth and other states to implement nationally consistent product stewardship approaches for priority waste streams such as oil and packaging. A National Environment Protection Measure (NEPM) provides the framework for each of these waste streams. For details, visit the EPHC website.

Government and industry are also at various stages of developing national approaches to manage other waste streams including batteries, tyres, compact fluorescent lights (CFL’s), televisions and computers. Diverting these products from landfill and on to recycling delivers resource efficiency benefits as it reduces the demand for virgin raw materials that come from our environment. It’s also important to recover these materials to enable better management of the organics waste stream, a significant producer of methane which is a potent greenhouse gas.

Victoria is also working with the Commonwealth on a project to help streamline product stewardship approaches, regardless of the product type. This project aims to overcome some of the challenges in dealing with a diverse range of waste streams in our society.

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The National Packaging Covenant

Since 1999 the National Packaging Covenant has been an important instrument for managing the environmental impacts of consumer packaging in Australia.  It is an agreement between all levels of government and industries in the packaging supply chain, designed to reduce the environmental effects of packaging. The Covenant is a product stewardship program, as it requires all signatories to share the responsibility of delivering improved environmental outcomes.

Signatories must produce action plans outlining how they will contribute to the Covenant’s objectives against set Key Performance Indicators, and report performance annually. Brand owners must follow guidelines contained in the Environmental Code of Practice for Packaging (Schedule 6 of the Covenant - ( Adobe PDF file, 352KB), while other signatories such as Governments contribute financially, and through various policies and programs. All action plans and annual reports are available on the the National Packaging Covenant inluding the Victorian Government Action Plan 2007-09 (PDF file, 179KB).

While the Covenant is voluntary, it is underpinned in Victoria by the Waste Management Policy (Used Packaging Materials) which places obligations on non-signatories (or non-compliant signatories) to ensure that signatories are not competitively disadvantaged in the market place. The Policy is based on the National Environment Protection Measure (Used Packaging Materials) which provides a nationally consistent framework for the management of packaging materials.

The Covenant includes a target to increase the packaging recycling rate to 65% by 2010. A mid term review is currently being conducted, and results will be presented to Environment Ministers in November this year.

Further information is available on the National Packaging Covenant website.

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Container Deposit Legislation (CDL)

Container Deposit Legislation (CDL) has been proposed in various states, including Victoria, since the 1970s, however, South Australia remains the only Australian jurisdiction to have introduced such a system.  Victoria has one of the best recycling systems in Australia, with 95% of all households having access to a kerbside recycling system.  The success of Victoria’s kerbside collection system is demonstrated through the increased diversion of a wide range of packaging materials from the waste stream, including those high-value containers that would be recovered in a CDL-type system. Additionally, the Victorian government continues to provide financial assistance to local government to construct and upgrade resource recovery facilities at landfills and transfer stations for those Victorians who do not have access to a kerbside recycling system.

Litter is an issue that is being actively addressed by Government through partnerships between bodies such as the Victorian Litter Action Alliance, EPA Victoria, Sustainability Victoria, Regional Waste Management Groups, local government, and non-government and community organisations. Experience over the years has shown that a range of measures, such as education, enforcement, the provision of infrastructure and the exercising of product stewardship by the manufacturers of products that are littered, need to be implemented successfully to make an impact on litter in the environment.

The National Packaging Covenant is the preferred mechanism for minimising the environmental impacts of packaging waste – including litter – in Victoria. The Covenant is subject to a mid-term review in 2008, and policy options may be reviewed subject to the outcome of the review.

Financial Impacts of CDL - The Victorian Government has considered a number of reports to determine whether CDL would be appropriate for the Victorian community.  In 2002, EPA Victoria commissioned a study to examine the actual cost impacts of introducing a CDL system into three Victorian municipalities (one rural, one regional and one urban).  The study concluded that the introduction of CDL would impose significant costs on communities. 

Download the report - Container Deposit Legislation: Financial Impacts (Adobe PDF file, 1009KB)

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Plastic bags

Lightweight carry bags have become a symbol of consumption to many in our society as they are designed for single use and then disposal. Despite increasing community awareness and concern, Australians used almost 4 billion plastic bags in 2006. In that year, Victorians used over 1.1 billion bags, with about 10 million of these ending up as litter .

The features that make plastic bags so useful – such as their strength and weight – are also the cause of environmental impacts. Discarded bags readily move through our environment, contributing to litter problems and causing harm to wildlife. Single use bags also represent an inefficient use of resources. EPA Victoria actively works with business to improve the way in which resources are used so that energy and water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, waste and costs are all reduced.

Many Australians believe plastic bags contribute to environmental degradation, and there are increasing calls for governments to take action.  This issue has been the subject of consideration by Australia’s Environment Ministers’ Council, see www.ephc.gov.au for more information.

While plastic bags appear to be free, the cost is factored into the price of all goods. Customers who choose not to accept plastic bags still share the cost of bags used by others.

Life Cycle Analysis (Adobe PDF, 457KB)

Sustainability Victoria recently commissioned a life cycle analysis into a range of shopping bag alternatives. The study revealed that multiple-use bags are better for the environment than single-use bags.

Victorian Plastic Bags Trial

The Victorian Government in partnership with the Australian National Retailers Association (ANRA) Coles, Woolworths/ Safeway, and IGA is committed to reducing the number of single-use lightweight checkout plastic bags. Between 18 August and 14 September a 10 cent ‘government and industry charge’ will be placed on past checkout bags from Coles, Bi-Lo, Safeway and IGA in three Victorian locations.

The Trial will test the impact of a charge on plastic bags.

The Trial will take place over four weeks and at one Melbourne suburban center (Fountain Gate) and in two provincial centers (Wangaratta and Warrnambool).

Participating supermarkets are Coles, Safeway and IGA.

Under the Trial, plastic bags will still be available to consumers, but they will have to buy them, as they would any other product.

The Trial will involve a ' government and industry charge’ 10 cents per bag. By putting a minimum price on bags, it will provide an incentive for shoppers to bring their own reusable bags rather than purchase single use plastic bags.

Revenue from the Trial will be used for environmental projects.

The Trial results will provide information to the Victorian Government and will be presented at the Environment Ministers meeting later this year. The response from those communities to the charge will help develop a national approach to reducing plastic bag use. The Victorian Government will share the results with the community.

The initiative does not prevent the Victorian Government from banning plastic bags in the future if necessary. 

The Victorian Government would like to thank the communities in Warrnambool, Wangaratta and Fountain Gate for their participation in the trial. For the cost of a local call residents in Wangaratta, Warrnambool or Fountain Gate can report on their experiences in changing from a plastic bag to a more sustainable carry bag, have input on the charge for bags or make suggestions for reusing existing plastic bags.

For more information read the Trial Brochure  and visit the Sustainability Victoria website

What can I do ?

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. To find out more please visit the Sustainability Victoria website.

Further information

For further information you are welcome to email EPA’s Waste Management Unit on pb@epa.vic.gov.au.

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