Maintaining the Stewardship Push

One of our staff recently came across a 2004 media release from us calling for product stewardship by packaging producers.  It revealed Newspoll findings showing a big majority of the community wanted strong  government action to make packaging manufacturers and retailers take more responsibility for packaging waste.  The call is no less strong today.  It’s a similar story on batteries and other products that should not be in the waste stream, but instead redesigned, recycled or reused.

It’s frustrating, but advocates in the non-government, business and research sectors keep up the pressure.  Witness the campaign for a container refund scheme (CRS) which began in 2003 and now on 1 May 2025 with Tasmania starting its CRS – the entire Australian continent is covered by CRS at state and territory levels.  Initially we worked towards a single national program, but opposition from the beverage industry prevented that, preferring voluntary programs with limited impact.

The negativity towards mandatory product stewardship is less trenchant today, although some players in industry still pursue weak policies that are intended to give the impression they are being ‘’responsible’’.  Nevertheless, the social licence to create a wasteful life cycle for products is growing increasingly fragile.  The latest example followed the collapse of the voluntary REDcycle soft plastics collection.  There was widespread community outrage and industry knew they had to change.

Recently we were able to initiate a joint statement with the key packaging, recycling and waste associations calling for a mandatory national Product Stewardship Scheme for Packaging by 2026 that applies targets and producer responsibility across the life cycle, including for soft plastics.  Times are changing and there is now a more constructive basis on which to negotiate a genuine scheme that advances the circular economy.

We know the problems, deeply rooted in our current economic landscape.  It’s only through concerted community pressure that the political system can be convinced to act.  Pioneer industry can show recycling, and reuse works for the betterment of the environment and economy – but the critical task now is to mainstream circular economy practices. More delay is not an option.

Jeff Angel
Director
Total Environment Centre / Boomerang Alliance