Gavin Williams, CEO of the Packaging Council, looks at four hot topics: packaging accessibility; container deposits; sustainability; and the awards
Packaging Accessibility – For the first time, Health Purchasing Victoria has specified accessibility as a requirement in its tender documents for pre-packaged food. Container Deposits – The debate heats up. Sustainability – Is it going off the boil in Australia as an issue for packaging? The Awards – The Southern Cross Awards for students are flying and registrations for the industry awards which are universally recognised are now closed.
Following the lead provided by NSW, Victorian Health authorities have now listed packaging accessibility as an issue in their specifications document for tenderers. The other States are likely to follow suit in the near future.
The public debate about that old chestnut – container deposits – is heating up with industry and environmental groups lobbying Ministers, politicians and union leaders and spruiking their positions in the media.
With the focus on economic matters and growing concern about the state of the global economy, a number of indicators suggest that the sustainability issue has lost some of its potency. But that’s not to say that the issue is altogether off the agenda for packaging or that governments cannot quickly turn the heat back up.
More than 430 tertiary students from over 30 Universities, TAFEs and Private Colleges have registered for the Southern Cross Awards, which is a great result and testament to the enduring appeal of these Awards. Registrations are now closed.
Packaging Accessibility
Over the past year or so we have highlighted the work of Arthritis Australia, the RSL and State Health authorities to get the packaging accessibility issue onto the policy and procurement agenda for the supply of packaged foods in the public health services and hospital system. The efforts of these organisations are now bearing fruit.
This focus on accessibility followed the outcome of the Special Commission of Inquiry into Acute Care Services in NSW Public Hospitals (the Garling Report) in 2007 which found that ‘frequently patients are unable to open pre-packaged food items and assistance with this is not always available or timely.’
Recommendation 128 of the Garling Report was as follows:
Health Support Services prepare (or have a consultant prepare for them) specifications for the packaging and containers (including covers and seals) used on hospital foods, so that the packaging and the containers: comply with food standards; are able to be opened by frail, aged or unwell patients.
The lead taken by NSW Health authorities on this issue is now being followed by Victoria. Health Purchasing Victoria which was established in 2001 to improve the collective purchasing power of Victorian public health services and hospitals has released draft tender documents on catering supplies.
On accessibility, the document states:
5.7.1 Individual portions of pre-packaged portion control items shall be packaged in a manner that protects and retains the freshness of the contents while allowing easy access by hospital patients and aged care facility residents, including those with restricted manual dexterity.
5.7.2 Where possible, Tenderers shall provide the Accessibility Benchmarking score, obtained using the Georgia Tech Research Institute Initial Scientific Review or equivalent test, on packaging formats of all portion-control items tendered in the relevant column of the Tender Response Worksheet.
5.7.3 The score may be taken into consideration during evaluation.
Georgia Tech provides testing and evaluation services in a partnership with Arthritis Australia. Arthritis Australia jointly developed the Initial Scientific Review with NSW Health, Nestle and Georgia Tech. Arthritis Australia can be contacted by phone on or by email.
With the two largest States now imposing declaring their intention to add packaging accessibility requirements for the supply of pre-packaged food to their public hospitals, it is only a matter of time before the other States and Territories impose similar requirements.
Container Deposits
The public debate about container deposits was heating up ahead of the Ministerial meeting on August 24 which was due to consider the issue. Industry and environmental groups have both ramped up their lobbying campaign and have hit the airwaves and other media outlets to push their case.
Industry groups, including the PCA, are lobbying Ministers against the introduction of a container deposit scheme, highlighting its cost to consumers, its negative effect on the kerbside collection system and that, given the pressures on manufacturing, now is not the time to foist another cost impost on companies in the beverage supply chain.
All in all, we sense that for the first time in many years the Ministers decision is finely balanced. The recent public spat between the Government and the Greens and the publicity that a container deposit scheme will impose costs on the household budget, will serve to strengthen the hand of those opposed to the introduction of container deposits.
Packaging Sustainability
Has this issue lost some of its policy potency in Australia? In my recent address to an Aerosol Association workshop I listed a number of indicators which suggested that it didn’t possess quite the same energy and force of just a few years ago. That is not surprising given consumer concerns about jobs, the state of certain sectors and rising fears about the global economy.
The evidence also suggests that sustainability is not a major factor in the packaging purchasing decisions by major brandowners or retailers. Anecdotal evidence broadly indicates that company CEO’s are not driving – or actively involved – in their obligations under the Australian Packaging Covenant.
Companies would be wrong to assume, however, that the issue is dead. As we all know, packaging gets a bad press and governments cannot quickly take action which would return it to a higher profile. We need to watch the outcome of the two policy issues under consideration by Canberra – container deposits and packaging’s possible position under the national product stewardship legislation.
We also need to keep an eye on what is happening in Europe where the Packaging Directive is currently being reviewed with several options being considered including greenhouse gas emissions; packaging to product weight ratio; transport packaging ratios; minimum recycled content; packaging product shelf life.
Whatever is decided by the EU will have a global impact including through the policies and practices of the multinationals based in Australia.
The Awards
We are calling on companies to submit their packaging creations for the 2012 Australian Packaging Design Awards. Now is the time to register!
We are looking for packaging designs that are imaginative, innovative and creative!
The categories in 2012 are all new and include the following:
Food: Fresh, frozen, pet etc.
Beverages: Alcoholic, non-alcoholic, sports drinks, juice, dairy etc.
Health & Beauty: Health & beauty products and appliances, personal hygiene/cleaning and pharmaceutical products etc.
Household & Office: Cleaning, garden, computers/phones, appliances, stationery, tools etc.
Industrial: Shelf ready packages, technical/logistical/functional developments
Seasonal and Promotional packaging.
Visit the PCA Awards website – www.pca.org.au/awards2012/apda - for further information!
