.

{4 DACKAGING

} Bry

Introduction

in Aont 1989. the then Canadian Councu of Re-
source and Eovtrommnent Ministers (CCREM) - now
the Canactam Counce of Ministers af the Ermiron-
mem (CCME} - stated:

“Waste management (4 on urgent and pressing
neler prodlern. Some furtscicions are alreacy
nanny out of Lan fUl sues. ot part becrnise Care
Ode ts our Of the mest wastrel martores. For uuts
furpase Ministers Nave rismucted the Waste Mare
cgemert Carunules of CCREM to develop « pack:
oging poucy for Canarce wurhen a broad reves of
SOUS LUCE IRAMAGeMen’ OOmornurtitlest

Canada ts 2 country ren in nature and human re-
SOurces. A country able to respona to an enviren-
memal intperative. and to provide international

Backaround

The per capita consumption of packs#ing tn Can-
ada amounts lo 2n estimated one (1) tonne of
packaging per famuy per year. Packzaing per-
forms a venety of waluable social uses tnetuding
the prevention of spoitage. and the eretection of
safety and health. in the order of eighty 1808
percent of the packaging usec tn Canada ww man-
aged Chrougn disposal: etther to tandiiis or inet
erntors.

The dtspot2l of packaging:

represents 2 toss of natural resources:

° requires inerezsing (inane expenditures to
Geal with murtertais nox fully utiltred:

* COMRUITES vatuable land. in ocver io establish
dispessi sites:

* Creates venous polulants which may impact
on surface or groundwater resources ana the
sunasphere:

* threaterrs widlife and causes aesthetic un-
sightiness when discarded as Utter: and.

* leaves to our children a legacy of ermron-
memai degradauan.

in Mav (989, the CCME corrurussioned 3 National
Task Force on Packaging ta devetop national pall.
cica for the manzgement of psckaging. The Task
Foree. campased of stakeholder reoresentatives
{rom across the country, sgreed on a set of guiding
principles (rom whieh to devretoo a National Pack.
aging Protocot. IL ws agrees. the Protocel would
focus on indusirial. commercial and housenold
PSCKIAINg, and would be cevetoped in consuita-
{ion wih key stakeholders from the federal. oro-
vintiaiviemttomal and murmetpoal covernments.
Industry, Eenv~ronmentsas and consumer croucs.

t
1

t

leadership through the better management of
paciaging. This document - The National Pick-
agtag Protoco((XAPP} - recomunends six packag-

Ng peuictes for Canada.

The National Packaging Protocat tneludes the tar-
Reta to be achieved. reievant Oackground tathe de-
velopment of the Protocal. six poucies and the kev
2CUONS and schediles requirea (to reatize each.

In this document = package ts defined 35 3
matertad oc term that is used to orotery. cantar. or
(Transport 2 comtirreocdity or proctuct. A package can
alsa be 2 materiad Gr tterm (nat ts pitysicaliv at-
tached loa product orits comainer forthe ourpose
of marketing the product or Corrumurucating tnor-
oration 2b0ut the product.”

(n thts document pactagsy can refer to not only
(he package self but aise to ts desu. manuiac-
lutte, Use ane posk-use management.

The Task Force focussed on tte mrinmsaement of

t 3 source reduction. reuse si
Pecyelinee it diet erat consider disposal cotions
such as tincineration. Alse not wnetuded within tne
scope of this work. was tne effect an tniencend adis-
posal techruque leg: incinerauorior tancfhlll has on
packace design.

Sines tt first convened tn June. 1989. the National
Task Foree on Psckaging has:

* grepared 2 techrueai datz base on the man-
agement of packazaing:; and.

* conducted 2 Canads + wide comsukation oro-
gram to tnvotve stakeholders (roem across the
courury tn the deveioomern of the polices.
and to ensure regional utput.

Concurrent with devetoomernt of the Protocot. the
Task Force cosurussioned technical reports
ermttied:

¢ The Technical Bass for the National Packic-
ing Protocot: Sumumary Report:

¢ Housenold Consumers ana Pickaaine:

* Packaging Apptication in Canza2:

¢ Packaging Reduction. Reuse and Reervctine
Technote;y Onuons & Econornies:

° Environmental Life Cycle of Packaatns:

¢ Econormsc consterations tn the devetoemen
of the National Packsaing Protocol:

° CLegtsiattve tnutiacmes Refatiruy to Packacing
ind Impiicaions for the National Packaging
Protocot:

* Stakehoider Postitions and Response to the
Devetopment of (the National Packadina
Protacot

* Agenda for Action for the National Packaging
Protocat,

The result of these activities are sex recommended
packaging potiers for Canada: The National
Pechaging Protocol

wae mete

ath

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