The Commonwealth Government is seeking nominations for the next round of Product Stewardship Schemes (2022-3). The Boomerang Alliance supports mandatory schemes for packaging, microbeads, nurdles and cigarette butts. They are proven plastic pollutants of our waterways and oceans and previous voluntary industry programs have failed. 

For example, the Australian Packaging Covenant, established in 1999, has had its chance to solve the plastic and packaging waste problems and failed to meet its targets. Recently it issued a report admitting it was very difficult to meet the national waste 2025 goals, including 70% actual recycling. 

Millions of cigarette butts are littered and microbeads are still found in facial and other cleaners - finding their way into our waterways and oceans. The products have preferred alternatives. Nurdles, the tiny plastic pellets that are molded to make plastic products, escape in their millions down the drains from manufacturing plants.   The sector should be required to install Operation CleanSweep that prevents their escape.

All of the above have industry bodies who can be made responsible for delivering significant outcomes by 2023.

HAVE YOUR SAY

• You can add your name to our statement on the right and we will send it for you, OR
  
  
• You can take the survey yourself. The deadline is 17 December 2021. You can do the whole survey or just fill in your name and email, copy and paste the statement below. Don't forget to press the SUBMIT button. 

PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP STATEMENT

I want the government to introduce Product Stewardship Schemes that work. For the following products this means:

1. A scheme with mandatory targets, as a minimum based on the national 2025 packaging and plastic goals including - phasing out problematic plastics - minimum 70% recycling or composting of plastics - minimum 50% recycled content for packaging and 20% for plastics.
   
   
2. Application of standards for reusable, compostable or recyclable packaging by the end of 2022, to ensure these items are produced so they are reused, composted or recycled in practice. 
   
   
3. Mandatory schemes for microbeads and cigarette butts where industry pays to prevent their disposal in the environment; and use of alternatives.
   
   
4. Mandate installation of Operation CleanSweep by all factories that produce plastic products, under an industry-wide stewardship scheme.

Packaging, microbeads (for all common uses) and cigarette butts have all been subject to voluntary programs but they have failed to achieve their targets.  Ongoing environmental damage should not be tolerated.