The Packaging Impacts Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement (PICRIS) – commissioned by all Australian Governments, including the Northern Territory – on future packaging waste options found the cost to the Australian community for a national CDL would between $1.4bn-$1.8bn.
The packaging investigation highlighted the most cost-effective option was the Australian Packaging Covenant (APC), a co-regulatory agreement between industry, all levels of Government and NGOs to better manage Australia’s packaging waste.
AFGC chief executive, Kate Carnell, said the APC has been successfully operating for the past decade with packaging recycling rates improving from 39% in 2003 to almost 63% in 2010.
Carnell said: “Australia must adopt a packaging waste mechanism with a capacity to be much broader than just beverage containers. Industry is very supportive of current product stewardship approaches – including at-home and away-from-home recycling – and extending the APC to offer a broad-based, longer-term and cost effective solution for packaging waste.”
Carnell said it was a disappointing that the NT Government has implemented a CDL without waiting to for the results of the PICRIS to be released.
“It’s very disappointing that the NT Government went ahead with their CDL – starting on January 3 2012 – which will be an expensive exercise for the people of the Northern Territory,” Carnell said.
“Industry told the NT Government many times that CDL was a very expensive option – and the PICRIS certainly confirms that we were right.”
Industry will prepare a detailed submission in the New Year to respond to the PICRIS as part of the stakeholder consultation.
Source: AFGC
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