Subsequently the Government announced a range of waste minimisation initiatives:

• Encouragement for more industries to start product stewardship schemes with:
  
• a regulatory backstop support for voluntary schemes; and
• accreditation schemes to enable businesses to be recognised for developing stewardship programmes for their products.
  
• The Public Place Recycling initiative, under which the Government supports the construction and delivery of more recycling facilities in public places and tourist destinations over the next three years. Central government will work with local government to implement the initiative and encourage businesses to support local councils.

The Minister for the Environment has been actively engaged in Packaging Accord activities this year, attending Accord functions, issuing supporting media releases, and engaging in site visits and campaign launches.

The Minister launched Plastics NZ Inc's 'Design for the Environment Guidelines 2006', produced under the Best Practice Programme, and spoke at the launch of the 'Make a Difference' plastic bag reduction campaign.

Central government has continued to support the Packaging Council of New Zealand in its role as the Accord secretariat, communicating successes and providing updates through the year by means of newsletters, meetings and web updates. Central government is engaged in a number of important partnerships in support of the Accord. Over the last year, central government has supported:

Central government will continue to build on the partnerships established in the first three years of this Accord, and to work closely with all parties to improve the sustainability of packaging used in New Zealand. Key areas of activity ahead include undertaking pilots for recycling in public places; responding to increasing demands from government agencies to reduce or eliminate unnecessary packaging; and continued policy work on waste minimisation. The Ministry will continue to support industry-led activity to ensure appropriate use and management of degradable plastics.

Case Study: Sustainable procurement policy and resource management in action through Govt³.

To date 48 agencies have formally signed up to Govt³ and 32 agencies have completed Govt Sustainable Practice Action Plans outlining their strategies and commitments to achieve greater sustainability. This includes 100% of core government agencies. Agencies participating in recent Govt³ waste audits have shown significant reductions in the amount of waste going to landfill compared with their baseline audits. All 14 agencies which have been re-audited showed reductions of over 20% in waste going to landfill per full-time equivalent employee, with nine of these (who implemented a full system with two desk bins) showing an improvement of over 50%. The results show the reduction in waste to landfill that can be achieved by educating staff, separating waste types and focusing on recycling.

Clicker here for more information on waste audits.

The following is a snapshot of what some ministries and government agencies have achieved.

The Ministry for the Environment The Ministry for the Environment head office has now had seven waste audits between June 2003 and May 2007. Over that period, there has been a 74% reduction in waste going to landfill per full-time equivalent employee. The Ministry for the Environment's Auckland office has led the way, with an 83% reduction between November 2005 and June 2007.

The Department of Conservation The Department of Conservation's new head office, a converted former picture theatre, is leading the way in sustainable building design. The building uses 40% less power than a conventional building through the use of day-light level sensors and movement sensors. In addition, it uses 60% less city water by recycling rainwater collected from the roof. From stairwell flooring produced from recycled car tyres to meeting room panels made from recycled milk bottle tops, the building is full of innovative, environmentally-friendly features. The Department intends to use its new head office as a benchmark for its other offices around the country.

Click here for more information.

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has reduced expenditure on copiers and copy services, use of copier paper, and printed stationery and publications. Initiatives include renegotiating contracts, a move to multi-functional devices and widespread staff education. The Department obtained paper from a more sustainable source, reduced the use of toner cartridges by over half, and used vegetable-based inks for bulk printing.

The Healthy Housing initiative Healthy Housing is a joint initiative of Housing New Zealand Corporation and district health boards. Through Healthy Housing, towels, furniture and appliances have been salvaged and reused by families in need. Families have been educated in environmental matters, and this has resulted in improved health and decreased impact on the environment.

Click here for more information.

The New Zealand Defence Force The New Zealand Defence Force used the renewal of its office supplies contract to implement sustainable procurement principles. Its procurement policy has been updated with a specific clause on sustainability and the inclusion of sustainability into criteria used in value for money evaluations. Working with supplier Corporate Express, initiatives to date include toner/ink cartridge recycling, recycled product alternatives and identification of environmentally sound products. A similar approach to sustainability is being taken with networked photocopiers.

Inland Revenue Inland Revenue has launched a shuttle service that runs between its main Wellington buildings. It has lowered costs by $36,000 per year due to a reduction in taxi usage, reduced emissions and enabled staff to network while travelling between buildings. Inland Revenue is replacing its vehicle fleet with vehicles that are approximately 10% more efficient than their predecessors, with 20% less carbon emissions.

The Department of Corrections Since the Department of Corrections appointed a full-time energy manager in 2002, energy savings of about $300,000 per year have been achieved on annual energy expenditure of over $8.8 million, and there has been a 37% cut in carbon dioxide emissions per prisoner. This has been achieved by establishing minimum energy and environmental specifications, auditing all major facilities and running staff training and awareness programmes.

Click here for more information.

Click here to view the 2007 Annual Report [663KB pdf].