Broad Approach To Minimising Packaging

26 August 2005

Packaging Council of NZ.

Judges Reward Broad Approach To Minimising Packaging Products’ Environmental Impact

Judges of the 2005 Environmentally Acceptable Packaging Awards have awarded the Packaging Council Supreme Award to Viscount Plastics NZ Ltd of Mt Wellington for their integrated packaging system incorporating Deep Nest Crates, Re-crates and Ezy Pak catering containers.

From a field of over sixty entries the Viscount Plastics entry was selected as demonstrating a wide range of environmental benefits through all aspects of the product from design, resource use in operation through to eventual disposal through recycling. The Supreme Award recognised the commitment to an overall environmental gain, not just the packaging, with the added bonus of a cost and fuel saving to the customer.

Environment Minister, the Honourable Marian Hobbs, also presented ten category awards, eight highly-commended, three commended and two special recognition awards at a gala dinner held at Villa Maria’s new winery in Mangere on 26th August. The Awards cover a wide range of different packaging types as well as design, systems and promotions to encourage waste minimisation and resource recovery.

The Minister congratulated industry on their commitment to improve the sustainability of packaging. This included the reduction in packaging waste, product light-weighting, improved systems, processes and environmental impact and for promoting key environmental messages to consumers through education programmes, point of sale and on product.

Deb Statham of the Packaging Council stated "it is again encouraging to see that much is being done to ensure that the packaged goods industry proves its commitment to the philosophy of the Packaging Accord. This year’s awards entries highlight product stewardship throughout the packaging life cycle, greater material and energy efficiency in the production, use and recovery of packaging, materials and supply chain initiatives that foster markets for sustainably made packaging, including more use of recovered packaging materials.”

“I believe the packaged goods industry is placing greater emphasis on recovered packaging materials going into new and innovative markets along with in-house environmental impact initiatives becoming a key driver for larger organisations. The statistics of packaging waste being diverted from landfill in the entries received under the Environmental Impact category are impressive,” said Statham.

ENDS

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