EDO has made a submission to the Senate Standing Committee in relation to the Product Stewardship (Packaging and Plastics) Bill 2019.
We commend the Product Stewardship Amendment (Packaging and Plastics) Bill 2019 and recommend that it be passed.
We do, however, suggest that the Bill could be improved by the following amendments:
- A requirement for an evaluation of the requirements of the Packaging and Plastics scheme against the packaging and plastics targets, at both the mid-point of its operation and again in 2025 when the targets are intended to have been achieved;
- An amendment to the current s107 of the Product Stewardship Act 2011 (Cth) to include reporting against the packaging and plastics requirements in the annual report of the operation of the Act;
- Expand the consultation obligations in relation to the Packaging and Plastics Scheme, to include State, Territory and local governments and the community, and not just entities that may have a financial interest in minimising their obligations under the scheme;
- A minor amendment to clause 40M of the Bill to avoid the prohibitions on certain single-use plastics from being bypassed through the use of ostensibly reusable substitutes; and 5. The insertion of an amendment of ‘lightweight carrier bag’ that is consistent with the bans that have been put in place by most States and Territories.
