The New Zealand Packaging Accord will soon to be in its third year of operation (2004-2009).  There are some actions you / your company should be taking to help with progress and reporting.  

Copies of the Accord document can be downloaded from: www.packagingaccord.org.nz/document. Sector Action Plans can be downloaded from: www.packagingaccord.org.nz/sector.

Have decided to do it!

Have you got CEO and management team commitment?

Are actions and targets incorporated into key accountabilities?

Have an environmental policy which “supports the principles of the Packaging Accord”.

It is important to have buy-in and commitment from your CEO to both the ACCORD and the environmental policy. Key personnel also need to be aware of your environmental policy and what is required.

Have a process whereby new product development evaluates packaging material choice with respect to environmental impact. See “The Code of Practice for the Packaging of Consumer Goods”.

The Code of Practice is available as a PDF document (A5 format - 43 pages) free of charge to all ACCORD partners. If you would like a copy please contact: Roshni Prasad

Understand what type of packaging materials you use and if they are recyclable and / or can be recycled within New Zealand. Review alternatives and their feasibility.

Review the current weight or gauge of your packaging.

Can you use less? Efforts made here will probably result in worthwhile cost savings.

Is some of the packaging re-usable? e.g. secondary packaging such as large cartons.

Understand your distribution environment. Considerable cost savings can be achieved here!

Can you get more units of product on a pallet or truck safely?

Do you maximise the size of the vehicle cube by combining heavy and light / small and large products on the same vehicle?

Do you have spare capacity which could be filled by co-operating with another supplier to the same customer?

Are your products making it to the consumer in a saleable condition?

Is the packaging space efficient?

Do you bring waste, products, pallets, packaging back through the system?

A useful tool is www.nzbcsd.org.nz

 

Collect and report site waste and recycling data. Record what you throw out!

Make a commitment to research and replace packaging which has lesser environmental impact than alternatives.

Communicate environmental affects and success stories of packaging within your company and forward to the Packaging Council to be highlighted in the monthly e-zine, ACCORDing to PACKAGING.

Talk to the Packaging Council, the Recycling Operators of New Zealand (RONZ), the Food & Grocery Council Packaging Project Technical Committee and the Glass Packaging Forum.

These groups are a great source of information and ideas.