RECYCLING SYMBOL

Recycling symbol: is it cynical?

INFORMATION ON CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND PACKAGING IS SHINING THE SPOTLIGHT ON RECYCLING OPERATIONS ACROSS AUSTRALIA. WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW SPEAKS WITH INDUSTRY TO DISCUSS CONSUMER CONFUSION AND ACHIEVING LABELLING CONSISTENCY.

Are Australia’s recycling operations and packaging fooling consumers? Environmental groups and industry insiders have recently been speaking out about the cynicism at the heart of consumer focused recycling strategies.

An independent audit commissioned by the Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR) has fuelled conversation surrounding current recycling labels.

Pete Shmigel, ACOR CEO, told

Pete Shmigel says recycling logos are inconsistent and trigger consumer confusion.

Waste Management Review that Australia is better than it’s ever been in terms of policy, investment and stakeholder engagement.

Shmigel commented that sensationalist views that reflect an antirecycling narrative are disappointing, with ACOR and other industry associations focussed on improving plastic packaging recycling from less than 20 per cent at present, to ambitious and unprecedented national targets, such as 70 per cent recycling of plastic packaging and 30 per cent recycled content for PET and HDPE.

Shmigel says the sector agrees that recycling labels on products – while somewhat improved in the recent era – need to significantly improve.

CONSUMER CONFUSION

On August 20 this year, ACOR released findings from an independent national audit of recycling information on consumer products and packaging.

“The audit shows a dog’s breakfast of consumer information about what products and packaging components are or aren’t recyclable,” Shmigel says.

He adds that the “the dog’s breakfast” undoubtedly leads to some material going to the wrong place such as recyclables to waste bins and nonrecyclables to recycling bins.

“That means recycling rates that aren’t as high as they could be, contamination that is too high, and it’s harder to achieve national targets such as 70 per cent plastics recycling (from our current 12 per cent).”

Additionally, the audit found that 55 per cent of imported products and 64 per cent of Australian sampled products displayed a recyclability claim, including 23 per cent with the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL), 29 per cent with a Mobius Loop recycling

symbol and 29 per cent with a resin code system that is often mistaken for a recyclability symbol.

Shmigel says the recycling logos are inconsistent and a pain point that’s triggering consumer confusion.

“Although the majority of products had a recycling claim, the logos were commonly only on outer packaging rather than on each packaging component,” the report reads.

Furthermore, 52 per cent of products sampled consisted of more than one packaging component.

The report states that this was a significant finding with respect to inconsistent recycling labels relating to one or more packaging types.

The audit identified that some labelling is incorrect or non-existent, and that terminology used to explain the recyclability of packaging is not consumer friendly, for example, “this packaging is recyclable” when only one component is actually recyclable.

“Other incorrect statements included liquid paper board packaging that claimed to be recyclable and soft plastic packaging that contained a recycling logo with no explanation or guidance on separating from other recyclables and where to recycle it,” the report reads.

The assessment concluded that ambiguity is influencing consumer’s ability to effectively recycle packaging through recycling programs, and that recyclability labels need to be specific about the disposal methods of all components, with instructions included to avoid contamination.

UNIFORM APPROACH

“If we have such arrangements for nutrition, we can have them for consumer recycling,” Shmigel says. Consumers are increasing their awareness and directing concerns to the manufacturers of the products they buy, actively asking company consumer hotlines: what is your approach to recycling labelling?

“And, those companies who specify products and packaging must also step

ACOR’s audit found 23 per cent of sampled products display the Australasian Recycling Label. up to correctly label their products, while the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission should ensure accuracy in environmental claims and labels,” Shmigel says.

Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) CEO Brooke Donnelly says there are gaps in the current recycling system’s capability, but the good news is that Australia has a clear plan in place to solve them.

Currently, 88 per cent of packaging placed on the market in Australia is able to be recycled within the existing infrastructure, technology and systems in place.

However, only 49 per cent of that packaging actually gets recycled.

“That gap - between something being recyclable and something being recycled - is not a result of failed packaging design. It is a failure of the processes that packaging goes through once it enters the bin. That includes the way it is collected, recovered and reprocessed,” Donnelly says.

Australia needs solutions that are systemic and transformative in nature, Donnelly says. She adds that challenges do exist in the recycling label space, with the number of different labels on packaging contributing to consumer confusion.

“Responsibility for change of this magnitude is not owned by a single entity, actor or stakeholder. Rather, its effectiveness relies on action from a diverse range of stakeholders, sometimes in the thousands and in the case of consumers, the millions,” Donnelly says.

She adds that APCO are excited to see the leadership and hard work of Australian industry being recognised, with the ARL featured on approximately a quarter of all products sampled in the ACOR audit.

“This is an incredible achievement within a short time frame. The ARL Program is continuing to grow rapidly

and tracking well compared to similar programs being implemented globally.”

As of July, this year, the ARL Program had 436 Members, including many of Australia’s major household brands and retailers.

In comparison, the United States’ How2Recycle Program, which began in 2012, reported 225 brand owner and retailer members across North America in 2019.

Meanwhile, the UK’s OPRL Program, which launched in 2009, reported 500 members in 2020.

Planet Ark CEO Paul Klymenko says Planet Ark is impressed with the level of ARL uptake, after launching the program with APCO and PREP Design just two years ago.

“The uptake has been significantly faster than comparable international labels, and the ARL has been recognised by international bodies like the United Nations Environment Program as best practice when it comes to informing consumers how to best dispose of their packaging,” he says.

IMPROVING RECYCLING CAPABILITIES

“We have sent a lot of waste overseas for recycling only to discover that some of it was being buried or burnt or thrown in the river. We have to step-up and make a change for the sake of our own environment, and to show regional and global leadership,” Josh Wilson, Shadow Assistant Minister for the Environment, told Waste Management Review.

He says the exports bans have shone a light on the fact that a significant amount of Australia’s waste management industry consists of collection and transportation.

Wilson believes Australia has a long way to go when it comes to improving its entire approach to waste.

“There is no doubt we need to significantly reduce the amount of plastic we produce, and we need to stop using single-use pernicious plastics altogether. State and local governments in Australia have been prepared to target single-use plastic, but the Federal Government has so far been a laggard in this space,” he says. Shmigel added that millions are being invested in this regard to get an environmental outcome – but not to

Industry is targeting a 70 per cent plastic packaging recycling rate by 2025. deride from sustainable consumption.

Nationally, Australia is working to implement the 2019 National Waste Policy Action Plan, which includes the 2025 National Packaging Targets.

The last 12 months have seen significant investment from brands and governments to drive progress in the space, including the Recycling Modernisation Fund which will see the Federal Government invest $190 million.

When matched by state governments and industry, this will leverage $600 million in recycling infrastructure investment and drive a billion-dollar transformation of Australia’s waste and recycling capacity.

Environment Minister Sussan Ley said the Recycling and Waste Reduction “landmark legislation” would see Australia take responsibility for its waste by establishing a national industry framework for recycling.

Although a national approach is essential, Rose Read, National Waste and Recycling Industry Council CEO says Australia also needs more investment of state waste levies into recycling infrastructure and related programs.

Read explains that while the Federal Government, together with state governments, are helping with the new

Recycling Modernisation Fund, it is the private sector that has the capacity to invest for the long term.

“To build the new plastic processing facilities needed by the time the plastic waste export bans come in to place in June 2021 and 2022, we also need states and territories to better manage their planning and licencing processes in such a way that it does not deter private investment in these new recycling plants.”

It’s clear a major challenge for recycling does exist with contamination, which can be addressed through improvements to packaging.

Industry and government need to continue to educate consumers and ensure responsible management of their materials throughout the supply chain.

As Mark Smith, Waste Recycling Industry Association Queensland CEO says – waste, recycling and all its elements are a collective challenge that needs to be tackled collaboratively .

Re-vitalising communities with bottles and cans

WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW SPEAKS WITH RETURN AND EARN CHARITY AND COMMUNITY RETURN POINT OPERATORS ABOUT COLLECTIVE COMMUNITY ACTION AND THE SOCIAL SIDE OF CDS.

Lightning Ridge, home to the famous Black Opal, is a small outback town in north-western NSW.

While perhaps best known for its Artesian Bore Baths and Chambers of the Black Hand, the remote town is also the site of one of Return and Earn’s most celebrated return points.

Established as an over-the-counter collection point for Return and Earn in December 2017, the Royal Flying Doctors Service’s (RFDS) Lightning Ridge Support Group has raised over $277,000 through the scheme.

Terry Clark, RFDS Dubbo Support Group President and Board Member, of which Lightning Ridge is a subcommittee, says the goal of the RFDS is to provide a full spectrum of medical services to regional and remote communities.

Through its fund-raising activities, the RFDS subcommittee has financed a mobile dental clinic, shed to house patient transfer vehicles and a Lightning Ridge Wellness Centre to support mental health.

When Return and Earn was launched, the group partnered with network operator TOMRA Cleanaway – manually collecting bottles and cans for recycling.

“It’s a way of maximising the conversion of bottles and cans from the scrap metal part into a more profitable recycling remuneration,” Clark says.

“The big bonus is that a lot of

Return and Earn has raised over $10.4 million for charities and not-for-profits via donations and revenue.

people turn up to our collection days to process their bottles and cans.

“The group also collects bottles and cans that are donated, so we get 100 per cent of the refund.”

Clark explains that all funds raised get redirected back into the community via medical equipment and services.

“If you’re putting money into a system that circulates back to improve and support your medial services, well I mean, wow,” he says.

Clark’s sentiments are mirrored by James Dorney, CEO of TOMRA Cleanaway, who says container deposit schemes (CDS) are about a lot more than just producing positive environmental outcomes.

They have the ability, he explains, to function as streamlined donation points.

“The design of Return and Earn allows for benefits to be shared by return point hosts, their partners and the wider community. Providing a financial incentive to individuals who recycle and an easy way for donations to occur,” Dorney says.

“Return and Earn is providing new opportunities for social enterprises, community groups, sporting clubs, schools and charities to raise funds in a time where money is pretty tight.”

In early August, Environment Minister Matt Kean said that when the NSW Government introduced Return and Earn as a litter reduction initiative in 2017, they knew it would be successful.

But, he added, they could not have imagined just how successful.

Kean went on to highlight how the NSW community had embraced CDS, with three-quarters of residents now participating and over four billion containers returned.

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

The Wilcannia Aboriginal Land Council, located in the Central Darling Shire of north-western NSW, established an over-the-counter return point 18 months ago as part of a wider waste management program. As a result of the return point, CEO Jenny Thwaites says the Council has been able to employ an extra individual to manage counting and packaging in a remote part of NSW.

“The money is a big encouragement in a community that has such high unemployment levels and degree of socio-economic disadvantage, but it’s also reduced the number of bottles and cans lying on the street,” she says.

While the scheme’s environmental outcomes are noteworthy, for Hugh Packard, Valmar Industries CEO, it’s the social benefits of Return and Earn that are most significant.

“Anything like this has a triple bottom line, but the thing that drives us is the social side of it. The primary goal of our operation is to support people with disabilities, and we saw this as a great way to enhance that employment,” Packard says.

Valmar originally joined the scheme as an over-the-counter collection point, but matured into an automated depot return point that processes millions of eligible containers each year.

According to Packard, the return point has enabled Valmar to create four full time jobs. He adds that the organisation is committed to employing people in roles that give them a valued profile in the community.

“10 or 15 years ago, working in waste would not have been a highly valued position – but that’s now shifted to recycling and Return and Earn,” he says.

“Being involved in Return and Earn is seen as a really worthwhile and useful activity. It’s amazing how the community has responded to it, it’s exceeded our most optimistic projections.”

Lisa Crothers of Bourke Laundry Service feels similarly, explaining that the organisation’s involvement in Return and Earn has allowed them to diversify what employees do during the day.

“Being in a remote area, we’ve been very badly affected by long periods of drought, so we’d been looking for something that could support our work and make us more viable as a business,” Crothers says.

“The option to host a Return and Earn collection point came up in Bourke and we were asked if we would be interested and jumped at

Over four billion containers have been returned since Return and Earn launched in 2017. the opportunity.”

Crothers adds that the scheme has been very well received, with other groups in the community using the program as a fund-raising mechanism.

Across its 635 return points, Return and Earn has paid more than $10.4 million to not-for-profits and community groups via handling fees and donations.

One of those not-for-profits is Hoxton Industries based in South Western Sydney, which currently provides meaningful employment to more than 100 people who face barriers to mainstream employment, including people living with disabilities.

Hoxton has been involved in the scheme since day one, primarily to provide opportunities for its employees to learn new skills.

“It kicked off very well. The community supported our organisation because we support people living with disabilities. A lot of people are also trying to help the cause environmentally, which is a big tick,” Hoxton General Manager George Boutros says.

To boost its collection volumes, Hoxton has partnered with a number of sports clubs and community groups in the area.

“We go to their sites, collect cans and bottles and they generously donate that back to us,” Boutros says.

“We give them monthly reports that show how much they’ve donated to the community and how many people with disabilities they’ve supported in terms of employment, so that’s a real positive.”

Boutros adds that Hoxton has been pleasantly surprised by feedback from its employees. He explains that for people with intellectual disabilities, the retail sector can be daunting, however, many of Hoxton’s employees have asked to participate in the consumer

facing side of the return point.

“That was a big positive for us, knowing that our employees jumped at a chance to serve customers and be able to communicate with them, it really helps to give them that confidence,” Boutros says.

SUSTAINABILITY HUBS

Peter Quarmby, St Vincent de Paul Society’s Director of Commercial Enterprise, says the charity got involved in Return and Earn to support its work with people suffering the effects of poverty.

The charity now runs a number of automated depots and bulk container return points across the state, in both metro and regional locations

“It’s given us a different profile. People see what we’re doing, and it enables them to donate their containers to Vinnies and further the assistance we’re able to provide to people most in need,” Quarmby says.

While Return and Earn has fundamentally benefited Vinnies through an increased revenue base, Quarmby says it has also heightened the charity’s profile in the community.

This, he adds, allows Vinnies to demonstrate its commitment to environmental, social and cultural sustainability.

“It’s been amazing. We have hundreds of partnerships that have emerged out of this,” he says.

“We’re working with many schools and sporting groups – all these community-based organisations that are looking to generate income to support their causes and their purpose.”

Quarmby adds that the response Vinnies has seen from the community has been greater than expected.

He explains that their willingness to donate containers has been heartening.

“It’s given us another avenue to engage with the broader community and has also opened up other possibilities,” he says.

“Being able to go down this path and do something new that we weren’t involved in before, but when we stopped and thought about it, we have been recycling for years.”

Quarmby points out that Vinnies have actually been recycling clothes for years.

As such, Quarmby says Vinnies has begun thinking about what else it can do in the recycling space to enable the charity to be as environmentally responsible as possible and generate new income streams.

Resource Recovery Australia (RRA) is another not-for-profit benefiting from the scheme, with General Manager Matthew Curtis telling Waste Management Review that the organisation’s participation in Return and Earn has led to the creation of four jobs.

He adds that the CDS also creates an income stream that gets reinvested into other community projects.

Starting with an over-the-counter return point in 2017, Curtis explains that RRA switched to an automated depot once return volumes became too large to be managed manually.

He says uptake across the facility has been impressive, with Return and Earn facilitating wider engagement with RRA’s other community projects.

“Within our site we have green bikes, a green communal garden and a Men’s Shed across the road.

“Running the CDS point gives us a surplus that can go back into those other community projects,” he explains.

“One of the other things that’s really positive for us is that through Return and Earn, we can support other local charities.

“They have accounts set up – two rural fire services, a local women’s shelter, riding for the disabled and the Salvation Army – and people donate their containers to those accounts.”

DELIVERING FOR COMMUNITY

When Return and Earn launched, the University of NSW (UNSW) was the first educational institute to support the scheme.

Arifa Sarfraz, UNSW Environmental Sustainability Manager, explains that as one of Australia’s global universities, it’s UNSW’s responsibility to support actions that have positive effects on the community.

UNSW’s RVM has been very well received, Sarfraz says, with a larger than expected number of people wanting to recycle. She explains that when UNSW installed the RVM, they assumed the university’s community would be its key users, which was quickly highlighted as an incorrect assumption.

“Very soon we realised that the wider community wanted to use it as well – which is the purpose of the machine,” Sarfraz says.

“The biggest benefit, personally, is it solidifies our commitment to providing the best possible services to our community and campus.”

Sarfraz adds that many Sydney basin and Group of Eight universities have reached out to UNSW to gain insight into their experience of hosting an RVM on campus.

The experiences of UNSW and other charity return point hosts demonstrate that Return and Earn is a proven and increasingly valuable new income stream for charities and community groups in NSW.

The scheme also provides opportunity for communities to connect, reinvigorating community spirit while delivering social, economic and environmental benefits – all powered by the ability of people to access funds quickly and easily through Return and Earn.