Members of The Packaging Forum and its schemes are entitled* to a special roll-back to the super saver price $1099+gst to attend the Safe & Sustainable Packaging & Materials Forum on 17 March at the Ellerslie Events Centre.

*This offer is valid until 5pm, Fri 5 March and is for new registrations only.
Rob Langord, CEO of The Packaging Forum will be one of the guest speakers.

Get the discount code – members only

In December 2020, The Packaging Forum signed an agreement with the Australian Packaging Covenant (APCO) which integrates the New Zealand Soft Plastics Recycling Scheme within the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL).

There are a lot of questions about using the PREP tool, how to use the ARL and, how to use the  NZ soft plastic recycle at store logo in conjunction with the ARL and REDCycle.

To answer these questions, we will be joined by Lily Barnett and Alex Dickie from APCO, and Liz Kasell from REDCycle. This webinar will be of interest to your colleagues in Australia as well.

Register your interest

Yet there has been little progress made on developing a viable end-of-life solution for compostable packaging at the scale New Zealand requires. This according to Kim Renshaw of Beyond the Bin, who is project manager for The Packaging Forum’s Compostable Technical Advisory Group (CTAG).

What’s needed for progress to happen, she says, is clear in the top six requirements identified by stakeholders:

• Nationally available collections infrastructure
• A labelling system
• Increased processing infrastructure
• An official New Zealand standard for compostability of packaging
• Funding
• Networking (knowledge sharing)

The CTAG is taking a collaborative approach in laying the groundwork for these to be developed and funded, she says.

“The next step is to gain an understanding of the volume of compostable packaging in the New Zealand market, and to clarify what level of investment and infrastructure is needed.”

As there is no existing data on this, the CTAG’s next survey will be asking manufacturers and importers to supply data to inform that understanding. Data will be aggregated to protect commercial sensitivity, Kim says.

“As public opinion has turned against plastics, many importers, manufacturers and brands have turned to compostable packaging as a promising solution. However, all packaging types need to end up in the right system at the end of their life to avoid causing unintended harm.”

“We’re working to overcome some complex problems such as the risk of contamination of compostable packaging with other materials, the ratios of compostable packaging that can be accepted by composters compared to other compostable material, what collection infrastructure could look like and how it could be funded,” she says.

The Forum recognises how important it is to overcome challenges and get systems in place for an increasingly popular packaging choice and will be working with all stakeholders to achieve this.

Ultimately the purpose of this work is to support Government in developing the right regulations for compostable packaging in New Zealand, ensuring the solution provides the best outcome for consumers and the environment, Kim says.

The Forum is inviting the following stakeholders to register to participate in a work programme and receive information:

• Manufacturers and importer of compostable packaging
• Brands and retailers who sell goods in compostable packaging
• Composting collectors and processors
• Brands considering switching to compostable packaging

To register as a stakeholder and keep up to date with progress, get in touch with The Packaging Forum here.

The Packaging Forum opened its first grant funding application round of 2021 today (1 February), to run for the month. Councils, recyclers, community groups and other organisations which have projects aimed at litter reduction are encouraged to apply for up to $10,000.

The Forum’s CEO Rob Lanford says the grants are funded through voluntary levies paid by members. “The Packaging Forum and our members are dedicated to reducing packaging waste in New Zealand, and this is just one of the ways we achieve this.”

The Forum has helped fund a number of litter reduction projects in the past, such as public place recycling and rubbish bins at health centres, sports clubs and tourist attractions, he says.

“We also have a Recycling and Litter Advisory Group which works to increase access to public place recycling and change public behaviour in regard to recycling and litter,” Rob says.

This group partners with data collectors to better understand the litter problem and allocates funding for projects which increase access to public place recycling and rubbish facilities. It also funds education and behaviour change projects, and works with partners to help get the right messages to the right people, Rob says.

Those interested in applying for a grant for their litter reduction project, or wanting to find out more, are encouraged to visit grants page.

The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) and The Packaging Forum are pleased to announce a new trans-Tasman partnership to ensure more soft plastics are collected, recycled and stay out of landfill.

The new partnership will see the Packaging Forum’s Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme recognised as an approved Alternative Destination under APCO’s Australasian Recycling Label Program. To be approved as an Alternative Destination, programs must meet a set of criteria to confirm the accessibility, recycling outcomes and scope of the program.

The partnership will mean businesses distributing soft plastic packaging in the New Zealand market no longer have to label their soft plastics as Not Recyclable. The new partnership will help businesses to provide accurate and clear recycling information to the customers and help consumers to correctly recycle their soft plastic packaging.

The ‘Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme’ is membership-based program that provides retail collection points across Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Northland, Taranaki, Waikato and Wellington to collect and recycle a range of soft plastic products, including bread bags, produce and frozen food bags, courier backs, bubble wrap and cereal bags.

The materials are processed onshore by North Island plants, Future Post and Second Life Plastics into durable plastic products including posts, parking stops, cable covers and garden edging.

Brooke Donnelly, CEO, APCO commented: “Research consistently shows that soft plastics are one of the most problematic contaminants in the waste stream and are an issue we have to get right in order to improve recovery rates for the region. We are delighted to officially partner with The Packaging Forum’s Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme to provide our ARL Program Members with an approved, reliable end of life solution for their soft plastics.

“We encourage all businesses selling consumer soft plastic packaging in New Zealand to join the Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme and provide an evidence-based recovery option on the packaging you place on market.”

Lyn Mayes, Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme Manager, commented: “We have close to 100 scheme members, many of which operate trans-Tasman and this partnership with APCO will allow them to adopt consistent labelling for their soft plastic packaging in both countries. The Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme is 100% funded by members.”

Margaret Stuart, Head of Corporate and External Relations, Nestlé Oceania commented: “It’s critical we have clear on-pack communications that helps people know which bin to put the pack in. With so many businesses in New Zealand and Australia making products for sale in both countries, this partnership will help keep our on-pack messaging simple and clear, so people understand how to recycle their soft plastics.”

Mick Anderson, Group Sustainability Manager, Goodman Fielder commented: “As a foundation partner of the Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme in New Zealand and REDcycle (the sister program in Australia) we are passionate about improving recycling rates of soft plastic packaging. Building consumer awareness through consistent on-pack labelling is an important part of achieving our vision of a circular economy for plastic. We have adopted the ARL and REDcycle logo on packaging in Australia and look forward to rolling out across our NZ loaf bread range, including Nature’s Fresh and Freya’s, in early 2021.”

For more information about the Packaging Forum’s Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme visit the Soft Plastic Recycling website.

For more information about the ARL Program visit the APCO website.