The National Packaging Covenant’s  (NPC) recycling figures are under review.   

Covenant Council has undertaken a review to ensure the consistency of data and to develop an agreed methodology.

The review is incomplete as the data gathered to date is currently being analysed and the methodology reviewed.  

Chair of the National Packaging Covenant Council, Russell Peel says while most of the figures are accurate, complexities arise in relation to the data on paper and cardboard.

"The Covenant Council is working to improve the situation," Peel says.  

“The recycling rate will still have improved since the inception of the Covenant in 2005, so the Covenant is working towards its objectives.”

“Ministers are being informed that the Covenant figures relating to paper and cardboard face complexities, but that the other recycling figures are supported."
 
After a one-off adjustment for glass there is evidence to show increased tonnages being recycled each year in Australia.

"The task is to develop a data analysis methodology that transparently demonstrates this," Russell Peel says.   

“The National Packaging Covenant works together with brand owners, industry, governments, green and community groups to stop packaging ending up in landfill."
 
"We know recycling figures in Australia are up since the Covenant was set up."
 
"The Covenant is successful at diverting packaging waste from landfill and currently funds 50 projects with a total expenditure of $47 million."
 
"These projects have the potential to divert more than 500,000 tonnes of consumer packaging from landfill. That’s a lot of packaging diverted from landfill.” 
 
The National Packaging Covenant is a unique group of industry and government groups, formed in 1999, to reduce the environmental effects of packaging and ultimately stop packaging ending up in landfill.  

The Covenant assists the packaging supply chain to work together to better design, produce, re-use and recycle packaging to reduce the amount of packaging waste sent to landfill.  

Australian brand owners have the choice to either sign the Covenant or face state environment legislation.

As a result, approximately 80% of packaged products in Australia are owned by Covenant signatories who have an estimated turnover of $133 billion – so the Covenant packs a powerful punch towards packaging.  

Signatories to the Covenant include retail and packaging companies such as Coles, Woolworths and George Weston Foods and re-processors such as AMCOR and Visy.

Leave a comment