Overview

The New Zealand Packaging Accord was a five year voluntary initiative (2004 - 2009) to cut down on wasteful packaging.  It was signed by the packaging & packaged goods industry, local and central government and the recycling operators. All signatories committed to doing what they could to reduce the proportion of packaging in our total waste stream.

Accord Objectives

Improving the sustainability of packaging used in New Zealand by:

• better partnerships, policies and processes
• brand owners and retailers taking the primary responsibility for product stewardship throughout the packaging lifecycle
• greater material and energy efficiency in the production, use and recovery of packaging materials
• supply chain initiatives that foster markets for sustainably-made packaging, including more use of recovered packaging materials

Click here to download the Packaging Accord base document.

Accord Annual Reports

The Packaging Accord was the base document from which packaging manufacturers developed five year action plans for aluminium, glass, paper, plastics and steel packaging.  Action plans were also developed for brand owners and retailers, recycling operators, central and local government.

Click here to download the action plans.

Progress against these action plans was reported each year in an Annual Progress Report:

Year 5 - click here

Year 4 - click here

Year 3 - click here

Year 2 - click here

Year 1 - click here

By the end of the Packaging Accord in 2009, all targets had been met.   Over the 5 year period, there was a 26% increase in the total quantity of packaging recycled, whereas packaging consumption only increased by 14%.

The Future - The Packaging Product Stewardship Scheme

Although the Packaging Accord has now come to and end, this does not mean that the Packaging Council and its members have stopped 'doing the right thing'.  We are in the process of implementing a Packaging Product Stewardship Scheme which builds on the successes of the Packaging Accord and meets the requirements of the Waste Minimisation Act 2008. 

Click here for more information about the Packaging Product Stewardship Scheme.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Packaging Council for further information at pac.nz@packaging.org.nz.

Other sectors

Click on the links below for information on the environmentally related activities of the other sectors:

CANZBAC – www.canzbac.co.nz

Glass Packaging Forum - www.glassforum.org.nz

Local Government New Zealand – www.lgnz.co.nz

Ministry for the Environment – www.mfe.govt.nz

New Zealand Food and Grocery Council – www.fgc.org.nz

New Zealand Paperboard Packaging Association - www.printnz.co.nz/index.php?id=92

New Zealand Retailers Association – www.retail.org.nz

Plastics New Zealand - www.plastics.org.nz

Recyclers of New Zealand – www.ronz.org.nz

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TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING

77 Greenmount Drive, East Tamaki, Manukau 2013
PO Box 58899, Botany, Manukau 2163
PHONE 09 271 4044, FAX 09 271 4041
EMAIL: pac.nz@packaging.org.nz