Packaging Impacts

Consultation Regulation Impact Statement

In July 2010, the then Environment Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC) agreed to develop a Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) on national measures to increase packaging recovery and decrease packaging litter. It was agreed that the scope of the work would include all consumer packaging made of any material, including sales and distribution packaging arising as waste both at home and away from home. Ministers agreed that the RIS would consider a range of measures, including a container deposit scheme, an advance disposal fee and co-regulatory arrangements which may have a tangible impact on packaging recovery rates and litter reduction.

On 30 November 2011, the Standing Council on Environment and Water reinforced its commitment to addressing community concerns about packaging waste and litter by agreeing to release the Packaging Impacts Consultation RIS and associated documents for public consultation. The release of the Consultation RIS is a key step in the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) process for considering appropriate action to address a problem, including national regulation.

The development of the Consultation RIS has already benefited from focussed stakeholder input and consultation, including two formal workshops involving all key stakeholders. The first, in December 2010, explored the nature and scale of packaging waste problems and data issues. The second, in July 2011, discussed proposed options for analysis. After the first workshop, stakeholders were formally asked to submit proposed options for inclusion in the Consultation RIS.

The options investigated in the Consultation RIS are container deposit schemes (CDSs), an advance disposal fee, industry-run schemes that may be co-regulated under the Product Stewardship Act 2011, and a nationally consistent government initiative. One of the CDS options investigated was proposed by environment groups and one of the co-regulatory options was proposed by the packaging industry. The analysis also recognises existing packaging recovery and litter reduction systems in the base case. The base case, against which the other options are assessed, includes South Australia's long-standing CDS; the CDS to commence in the Northern Territory in early 2012; the provision of kerbside recycling services to most Australian households; and the Australian Packaging Covenant.

This Consultation RIS does not indicate a preferred option and seeks feedback on the options, analysis and statement of the problem. The consultation process forms an important part of testing the models and estimates in the RIS, and provides an opportunity for the community to put forward additional evidence to support or change the analysis.

For more information regarding the Packaging Impacts Consultation RIS, please refer to the document 'Frequently Asked Questions' below.

Please be aware that the Packaging Impacts Consultation RIS which was released on 7 December 2011 displayed the incorrect International Standard Book Number (ISBN). This has been rectified and the document has been revised to reflect the correct ISBN (978-1-921173-73-8) and uploaded on 20 December 2011 - no other changes were made to the documents from the version released on 7 December 2011.

Submissions - now closed.

The Standing Council on Environment and Water sought stakeholder and public feedback on the Consultation RIS. Written submissions were due by close of business on 30 March 2012. No late submissions will be accepted.

Information from the public forums and submissions received will help inform policy development later in 2012.

  Public Forums

Eleven public forums on the Packaging Impacts Consultation RIS were held from mid-February to early March 2012 in all capital cities and three regional cities ( Townsville QLD, Bunbury WA and Albury NSW). These forums summarised the key findings of the Consultation RIS and the RIS process, and gave attendees an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback.

In addition, directly following each of the public forums, a limited number of bilateral meetings were held for individuals or organisations (such as industry groups, community groups or local government representatives) that have substantial interest in the RIS.

The presentation below was provided by co-chairs of the Senior Officers Oversight Group and by PricewaterhouseCoopers at the public forums held in February and March 2012. In addition, questions and answers from the public forums and more detailed responses to stakeholder questions on the consulation documents are now available below.

Email Bulletin

 Emails will be issued to keep interested stakeholders updated on the process. If you would like to be included on the email distribution list, please send your details (name, position, organisation, contact details) to productstewardship@environment.gov.au.