Page 115 - Export and Trade

Packaging & Labelling

Environmental Issues and Labelling

By the Packaging Council of NZ

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balancing environmental, social and economic impacts/outcomes throughout the packaging lifecycle.
pac.nz@packaging.org.nz

Amajorconsiderationfor exportersisthelegislative conventional scientific evidence which is driving the
requirements surrounding the disposal of packaging concern and associated regulation. All exporters
waste. The burden falls on those responsible for should take care to understand the risk of chemical
bringing products into a market so the onus is on migration from packaging materials.
exporters and their importing agents to comply with Note that packaging in this regard includes the
legislationorfacetheriskof beingfined. labelling and printing choices made.
In December 2015 The European Commission
adopted an ambitious Circular Economy strategy, Consistent with other developed economies, New
including legislative proposals on waste to stimulate Zealand is looking to provide guidelines which balance
Europe’s transition towards a circular economy. the economic, social and environmental considerations
The revised legislative proposal includes clear targets for packaging.
for reduction of waste and ambitious targets for To facilitate this objective the Packaging Council
recycling of packaging waste, incentives for producers RI 1= ,QF KDV GHYHORSHG D &RGH RI 3UDFWLFH IRU
Packaging Design, Education and Procurement. It
to increase the production of products associated
draws on international indices to provide performance
with reduced environmental externalities and support
indicators and associated metrics covering the
recovery and recycling schemes (eg for packaging,
packaging supply chain and aligns with the global
batteries, electric and electronic equipment,
standards and frameworks for packaging reporting.
YHKLFOHV The transition to a circular economy is
1
a systemic change with increasing focus on the full
Details of the Code of Practice for Packaging
product lifecycle.
Design, Education and Procurement are available from
Global work such as the Consumer Goods Forum,
www.packaging.org.nz
ISO standards and work around harmonising product
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Key Packaging Design Principles
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• Good packaging design should prevent more waste
and reporting of environmental performance.
than it creates.
Packaging can also be measured in terms of
• Packaging should be designed to meet market and
preventing product wastage, provenance, traceability
consumer needs while minimising net environmental
and food safety providing further value where these impact in a cost effective way.
qualities offer an enhanced benefit to the product. • Packaging should be designed to minimise the use of
Exporters are expected to be able to provide an materials and other resources without compromising
ever greater level of transparency in their operations product quality, safety and economic viability.
to meet the social and environmental credentials of • Materials should be selected incorporating a whole-
global supply. Not being able to meet these reporting of-life approach.
demands has the potential to be just as much of a • Packaging should be designed to minimise the
trade barrier as not meeting local legislation. environmental and social impacts of its disposal.
The identification of chemical migration from food
contact packaging as a potential risk has resulted Labelling
in some countries banning particular chemicals Successful resource re-use, recovery and recycling can
in packaging materials. This trend is predicted be greatly enhanced by providing relevant on-pack
to continue not least because it is not always information.
NZ Export & Trade Handbook 2018 113