Research into global best practice stewardship schemes provides valuable insights for a New Zealand plastic packaging scheme.
New research looking at how “producer pays” schemes for packaging operate around the world has been used to recommend scheme options for New Zealand.
The insights from this study are a crucial part of developing a new plan for the management of plastic packaging in New Zealand – the Plastic Packaging Product Stewardship (PPPS) scheme – being led by The Packaging Forum and the Food and Grocery Council.
The research, commissioned by the PPPS Project Team, reviewed global schemes, many of which have been operating for years, and assessed these against the requirements set out by the New Zealand Government in the gazette notice definition of plastic packaging.
Key features of the New Zealand context are that:
- The proposed scheme is for plastic packaging, whereas the other schemes investigated cover all packaging materials,
- New Zealand already has a number of complementary product stewardship policies and schemes,
- New Zealand is a smaller market in terms of volume of materials than most schemes reviewed, and
- New Zealand has large gaps in infrastructure.
The report has been reviewed by the PPPS Steering Group, with the recommendations considered at workshops comprising a range of technical advisors.
The report is now available for download and provides options for each design aspect investigating the advantages and disadvantages of each option before arriving at recommendations. These recommendations are being developed and challenged by the Steering Group with consultation with a range of technical advisory groups. This will enable the project to provide a robust and well considered scheme design(s) for the Ministry for the Environment to review and take to consultation with the public.
The research recommends three collection channel options which are subject to a detailed cost benefit analysis as the fourth part of the project’s research process.
The three options are:
- Business-as-usual – Utilise existing collection systemsto collect plastic packaging through the co-mingled recyclables bin at kerbside, as well as public place and drop-off community and resource recovery collection points and commercial/industrial systems, leveraging other systems already in place (e.g., the retail network for soft plastics). This option assumes a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) will take over full responsibility for plastic packaging.
- Increase volume through existing collection systemsthrough either public or private providers, increase take-back/public place/community/resource recovery drop off and commercial/industrial systems while upgrading the supply chain capacity for handling additional volume
- Full Source Separation: Extend kerbside and Commercial &Industrial to have full source separation (plastic film, rigid plastic packaging and liquid paperboard (LPB)) with matching plastics-only sorting
Research Organisation
RPS Consulting working with the Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence and Helen Lewis Research was selected as the service provider for this research following a tender process by the PPPS Project Team and evaluation of the proposals by the Steering Group.
We welcome stakeholder input at any time.
Download report here