Tuesday March 19th

Funding for Unpackit Awards to keep heat on bad packaging

Wanaka Wastebusters are delighted to announce that the Unpackit Awards will be run again in 2013 to find the country’s best and worst packaging in terms of its impact on the environment.

The Minister for the Environment said in a statement on Sunday that the 2013 Unpackit Awards would receive $150,000 of funding from the Waste Minimisation Fund.

This will be the third year that the Unpackit Awards have received support from the Fund, with the 2012 Awards receiving $118,985.

Unpackit Awards organiser Gina Dempster said the ongoing support from the Waste Minimisation Fund was valuable as it took time to create public awareness around a relatively low-profile problem like packaging waste.

“The latest (2008) statistics from the Packaging Council show that 72kg of packaging waste is thrown in the rubbish per person, per year. It’s easy to close your eyes and think that the problem disappears when your rubbish is picked up. But the massive amount of waste going into landfills is everyone’s problem, and we all need to work together to reduce it.

Ms Dempster said that the Unpackit Awards are helping to create change around packaging choices.

“The Unpackit Awards 2011 and 2012 have been covered on TV, radio, newspapers, radio and in magazines. Being a people’s choice awards, they have also got people talking about packaging in their own communities; whether that’s online, at Farmers Markets, in schools, shops or with family and friends. That’s been the true success of the Awards.”

Ms Dempster said the organisers of the Unpackit Awards were excited to see that the company who makes Potatopak, the inaugural Unpackit Best Packaging Award winner, had just received over $2 million in this round of funding from the Waste Minimisation Fund.

“Potatopak products provide a practical alternative to many of the 200 million polystyrene trays which go to the landfill each year. They’re easily composted at home, and they’re made from a waste product. It’s a really innovative solution to the gnarly problem of how you package take-aways without creating a whole heap of waste to throw out at the end of the meal.”

Unpackit Awards 2013 Timetable

April 8th Nominations open for the 2013 Unpackit Best and Worst Packaging Awards.

Nominations are made by the public online at www.unpackit.org

July 5th Nominations close.

July 19th Finalists announced for the 2013 Unpackit Best and Worst Packaging Awards.

Voting opens online at www.unpackit.org

Sep/Oct Farmers Market roadshow with Unpackit organisers and regional partners.

Nov 8th Voting closes.

Nov 16th Winners of the Unpackit Best and Worst Packaging Awards announced.

ENDS

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