‘With global plastic treaty negotiations stalled, we welcome Environment Minister Watt’s statements to continue to work with other nations to solve plastic pollution globally and his recognition that action at home must continue. This must involve introduction of new packaging laws recognising that recycling is just one (lower order) option. New packaging laws must make producers of single-use plastic packaging responsible for their products across its entire lifecycle based upon circular economy principles,’ said Jeff Angel, Boomerang Alliance Director.
‘Circular economy principles require packaging to managed according to its highest resource value. That means reducing unnecessary packaging and designing products that can avoid plastic for safer materials; be reused; recovered or recycled - and in that order.’
‘New packaging laws should:
- continue the phase-out of problem single use packaging by Commonwealth and State Governments
- make producers responsible for their products across their entire lifecycle
- set mandatory targets to reduce, reuse and recycle single-use plastic packaging’
‘There’s clearly an emerging consensus amongst diverse stakeholders about the fundamentals – now we need to urgently resolve targets and legal instruments,’ Mr Angel said.
For more information: Jeff Angel, Director, Boomerang Alliance, info@boomerangalliance.org.au
