On March 14, I received an enthusiastic email from Susan V. Collins, Executive Director of the US-based Container Recycling Institute (CRI, see www.container-recycling.org and www.bottlebill.org) about my editorial from the February/March edition entitled “Nestle and the Watering Down of EPR.”

I’ve been a fan of CRI for some time – their website offers excellent data, analysis and perspectives. While CRI does several things, I think it’s fair to say a big part of its mandate is the promotion of deposit-refund systems for used beverage containers, along with reuse and reduction of packaging waste; these are promoted by CRI in tandem with curbside recycling for other materials such as newsprint and boxboard, instead of curbside recycling as a “total solution.”

My editorial was about how the soft-drink (and bottled water) industry is appropriating the term extended producer responsibility (EPR) and twisting it for its own purposes. The premise of the article was a very questionable article from an executive at Nestle Water, putting spin on a white paper that consultants from Natural Logic wrote for Coca-Cola.

Susan Collins mentioned in her email that CRI had just finished drafting a response to the Natural Logic white paper for Coke. This is now released and I’ve copy/pasted the short executive summary below.

You can download the whole 13-page document from a link on CRI’s homepage here:
www.container-recycling.org

CRI Comments on Natural Logic’s White Paper on EPR for Packaging
March 2011

Executive summary

Natural Logic recently produced a white paper for the Coca Cola Company that summarizes an industry policy agenda for the next generation of packaging waste management. In line with the principle of extended producer responsibility or “EPR,” the proposal incorporates some producer financing and management of packaging waste recovery.

CRI enthusiastically supports both the principle of EPR and the goal of reducing packaging waste, but finds significant problems with the Natural Logic paper in three main areas:

1. Natural Logic is ambiguous about the materials and waste sources targeted: in examining the impressive sounding “70% recovery of packaging” (and possibly printed paper) goal, we found that it could potentially result in the recovery of as little as 5% of municipal waste.

2. The Natural Logic proposal pits container deposit-refund systems against curbside material recovery systems, continuing the longstanding beverage industry approach to avoiding product-specific recovery laws. This contradicts the model of advanced material management systems in Europe, Canada, and elsewhere, however, where the principle of EPR is well established and packaging directives are in place. These systems rely on a blend of strategies to achieve high levels of packaging recovery, centrally including curbside systems and deposit-refund programs that complement one another, rather than
attempting to rely on a single mechanism.

3. Natural Logic fails to go beyond “diversion” to address the quality and fate of the recovered materials; the recycling priorities associated with different lifecycle greenhouse gas and emissions profiles of products and materials within the packaging class; product- or material-specific recovery goals within the packaging class; and the recovery of packaging litter. These are critical issues, especially within a sustainable materials management framework linked to greenhouse gas reduction imperatives. Beverage container litter in particular has lately been subject to greatly increased scrutiny due to rising concern about marine plastic pollution from land-based sources.

CRI believes that U.S. states that are exploring the shifting of financial and possibly physical responsibility for packaging waste to producers and consumers should study existing models, particularly in Canadian provinces that provide the most directly relevant examples. One of the common themes they will find, in contradiction to Natural Logic’s claims, is that container deposit-refund systems together with corrugated box recovery systems, both of which recover significant amounts of material from outside residential frameworks, have tended to serve as the backbone of a high-performing approach to comprehensively reducing the flow of packaging waste to landfills and litter.

Posted by Guy Crittenden at 04:05 PM | Permalink

Melissa Walsh Innes, Maine State Representative, wishes to share with colleagues working in the product stewardship/EPR field the new link (and title) to the blog she authors on the subject: http://theinneseprreport.blogspot.com/

She welcomes comments and suggestions of what can be added to bring more meaningful discussion to her blog. She looks forward to working again with many interested parties as the legislative season is off to a great start with many different stewardship initiatives across the US and in other countries as well.

Melissa Walsh Innes
Maine State Representative
Facebook: melissa walsh innes
Twitter: repmelissainnes

Posted by Guy Crittenden at 01:07 AM | Permalink

Along with my colleagues at the magazine and some of our other environmental information products, I will be in Montreal on Wednesday, March 23 to chair a day of workshops on environmental protection and waste management issues at the Americana (http://americana.org/Home). I invite readers to attend and say hello at the luncheon or duringor after the workshop.

I'm also alerting readers about a networking event and workshops being hosted on the Monday of that week in Montreal by our friends at ECO Canada. I've copy/pasted the information below and encourage you to register:

RSVP NOW: Project Management Workshop and Networking Luncheon in Montreal

Event Website (www.eco.ca/montreal)

Event Registration Page (http://www.eco.ca/ECONetworkingLuncheon2010/)

Who: Environmental Professionals seeking professional development and networking opportunities

What: Project Management Workshop and Networking Luncheon

Cost: Workshop (includes lunch): $110 (includes applicable taxes)
Networking Luncheon Only: $35 (includes applicable taxes)

Professionals holding a valid EP, EPt, EP(CEA), EP(EMSA), EP(GHG)

Workshop (includes luncheon): $75 per person (includes applicable taxes)

Networking Luncheon Only: Free
Where: Montreal, QC - Concordia Downtown Campus - 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West
When: March 21, 2011

Morning Workshop: 8:30am – 11:30am

Investigate project management topics from an environmental perspective. Participants will explore the fundamentals of project management and learn strategies to apply to contaminated site work and other environmental projects. Facilitated by Greg Philliban - CPM, PMP, CIF - professional project management instructor and consultant.

Networking Luncheon: 11:30am – 2:00pm

Learn from a panel of experienced environmental professionals as they discuss topics related to Contaminated Sites: Managing Project Risks. The luncheon provides environmental professionals a forum to network and to learn from industry experts. The focus at this year's luncheon is Contaminated Sites: Managing Project Risks. The panel will discuss: regulatory changes and policies affecting contaminated site work in QC; tips for assessing project risks and implementing risk management strategies; and lessons learned on contaminated site projects. After a short keynote address and panel discussion, the audience will have the opportunity to ask questions.

Speakers Include:

· Eric Denman - Eng., MBA, EP - Vice President, D&G Enviro-Group Inc

· Julien Gravière - B.Sc, DESS - Project Manager, Risk Assessment, Environmental Site Assessment, Remediation and Hydrogeology, SNC-Lavalin Environment

· Charles Kazaz - LLB - Partner, Fasken Martineau

For further information on the events please visit the event website or contact Megan Foreman at mforeman@eco.ca

FRENCH:

SITES CONTAMINÉS : ATELIER ET DÉJEUNER DE RÉSEAUTAGE

INSCRIVEZ-VOUS

21 mars 2011
Montréal, Québec
Campus centre-ville de l'Université Concordia

ATELIER DE GESTION DE PROJET : 8 h 30-11 h 30

Abordez le thème de la gestion de projet d'une perspective environnementale. Les participants:

examineront les principes de base de la gestion de projet
apprendront des stratégies à mettre en pratique pour l'évaluation environnementale de site et dans les travaux de restauration

DÉJEUNER DE RÉSEAUTAGE : 11 h 30-13 h 15 (réseautage jusqu'à 14 h)

Le déjeuner donne l’occasion aux spécialistes en environnement de réseauter et d’apprendre des spécialistes du secteur. Cette année, le thème portera sur les sites contaminés : gestion des risques associés aux projets. Les invités discuteront des modifications aux règlements et des politiques touchant le travail dans les sites contaminés au Québec, des astuces pour évaluer les risques des projets et de la mise en œuvre des stratégies de gestion du risque ainsi que des leçons tirées des projets de sites contaminés. Après une brève allocution thématique et une discussion en groupe, les participants auront l’occasion de poser des questions.

Biographies des conférenciers ici.

Pour obtenir plus de renseignements, consultez la page Web des événements.

INSCRIVEZ-VOUS EN LIGNE

Frais de participation pour les membres agréés possédant un agrément de SE, SEf, SE(VEA), SE(VPSGE), SE(GES) valide et un invité

Atelier (comprend le déjeuner) : 75 $ par personne (comprend les taxes applicables)
Déjeuner de réseautage seulement : Gratuit
Sections régionales de l'AGA : Gratuit

Frais de participation pour les non-membres

Atelier (comprend le déjeuner) : 110 $ (comprend les taxes applicables)
Déjeuner de réseautage seulement : 35 $ (comprend les taxes applicables)
Communiquez avec l’organisateur de l’événement

Jessica Reynen
Communications Coordinator

ECO Canada
Suite 200, 308 – 11th Avenue SE
Calgary, Alberta T2G 0Y2
Ph: (403) 476-1931
Fax: (403) 269-9544
Email: jreynen@eco.ca

Find environmental profession products, services, and information at www.eco.ca

Trouvez des produits, services et renseignements sur les professions en environnement à www.eco.ca

Gain formal recognition of your environmental expertise at www.cecab.org

Obtenez une reconnaissance formelle de vos compétences en environnement à www.cecab.org

Posted by Guy Crittenden at 07:44 PM | Permalink

It’s interesting sometimes to look at policies and environmental developments in Australia or New Zealand – countries on the far side of the planet that, with their colonial pasts, vast wilderness areas and abundant natural resources, are similar in many ways to Canada.

A “scandal” that recently made headlines in the Northern Territory concerned allegations that representatives of Coca-Cola pressured the government there to quash a proposed deposit-refund scheme for used beverage containers, or else the company would oppose the government and fund the opposition.

It’s difficult from this part of the world to understand the intricacies of Australia’s local politics, but overall the story does feel like looking into a distant mirror.

I offer readers a news story from the local media that captures the flavour of events, and (just before it) a short commentary from the blogosphere.

COCA COLA CAUGHT OUT IN ‘CASH FOR NO-RECYCLING’ SCANDAL

Wednesday, 23 February 2011 13:54

Environmentalists have called for an independent investigation into allegations that senior Coca Cola executives threatened to fund the opposition Country Liberal Party (CLP) 2012 election campaign if the NT Government proceeded with their ‘cash for containers’ legislation.

“If correct, this is a very serious scandal of ‘buying votes’ undermining democracy and brings the anti-CD campaign by Coca Cola and its allies Fosters and Lion Nathan into the gutter. Their front group for the NT campaign, ‘Responsible Recycling’ has used radio and newspaper ads, push polling and misleading information to try and defeat the NT ‘cash for containers’ deposit refund scheme”, said Jeff Angel, Convenor of the Boomerang Alliance.

“Buying a political party is beyond the pale. To get to the bottom of these allegations there must be an independent inquiry with the power to compel witnesses to give evidence under oath.”

“We are now urging Fosters and Lion Nathan to publicly distance themselves from Coke and the anti-CD campaign – their reputations can only continue to suffer. They should get on board in designing the most efficient container deposit system in the NT.”

HTTP://WWW.NTNEWS.COM.AU/ARTICLE/2011/02/23/214061_NTNEWS.HTML

CAN NEW LAWS OR ELSE, SAID SOFT DRINK GIANT: GOVT

DAVID WOOD February 23rd, 2011

THE Territory government has said a multi national soft drink company threatened to help the Opposition crush the container deposit legislation if Labor did not do it themselves.

Yesterday the Government confirmed that at a meeting last year between Coca Cola Amatil and a senior minister, the company "indicated that unless the NT Government abandoned cash for container legislation, they would be approaching the CLP to discuss how they might help them oppose the bill".

The NT News believes the company met with Deputy Chief Minister Delia Lawrie and its representatives told her they would help fund the CLP campaign for the August 2012 election because of their distaste for the scheme.

CCA spokeswoman Sally Loane said senior company executives and local managers met with both the government and the CLP late last year but "no CCA representative made any promise or offer to fund either the CLP or the ALP in the forthcoming election campaign".

In NT Parliament yesterday Opposition Manager of Government Business John Elferink ridiculed the situation, saying the government was spreading lies about Coca Cola funding their election campaign.

"The Henderson Government Minister making these outrageous and false allegations should have the courage to come forward and be identified," he said.

"This is just another disgraceful Labor Party smear campaign."

The container deposit legislation is being debated in Parliament and is expected to be voted on tomorrow .

The government has the numbers to pass it with the support of Independent Gerry Wood.

Chief Minister Paul Henderson said the CLP needed to state its position on the legislation having said it had supported such a scheme.

"But now the race is on to raise $1.5 million to take the CLP leadership," he said.

"Will they be more interested in Cash for Country Liberals than Cash for Containers?"

CLP environment spokesman, Peter Chandler, who visited New Zealand recently to look at an alternative scheme, said he he did not know of any meeting between Coca Cola and the CLP.

The CLP has not announced its position on the legislation, although it says it supports a container recycling scheme, just not this one.

"CLP is very supportive of a a CDS but the model proposed by government is a model we have not seen, it is like being asked to buy a new car without being able to lift the bonnet and check out the engine," Mr Chandler said.

Posted by Guy Crittenden at 02:35 PM | Permalink