When any organization succeeds not just in meeting goals, but in exceeding expectations, then celebration is called for. When the organization is not one body, but a large group of various industry, government, consumer and environmental groups, then celebrations should be particularly vigorous.
The National Packaging Protocol (NaPP) was a voluntary commitment made back in 1990 by this diverse group to make changes in packaging waste and disposal practices. The Task Force was established by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) in 1989. The NaPP agreement sought to achieve a 50 percent diversion from landfill by 2000, using 1988 as the base year. The 1996 review shows surprising results. A 51 percent absolute reduction, a 56 percent reduction on a per capita basis, was achieved in 1996. The year 2000 target has been achieved four years ahead of schedule! Canadians exceeded their commitment despite healthy growth in the GNP and an 11 percent increase in the Canadian population.
To understand how truly significant this accomplishment is, we need to look again at the figures for 1988, when 5.41 million tonnes of packaging was disposed of. In 1996, that figure dropped down to 2.64 million tonnes. There's less glass, paper, plastic, steel and wood going to landfill. The real credit goes to each individual in the system who made a conscious decision to change, to save more by wasting less.
When NaPP was first introduced, it was estimated that about 30 percent (by weight) of waste in municipal landfills was packaging. The first step in reducing the amounts of packaging being sent to these landfills was to bring in recycling programs for commercial, industrial and institutional users. At the same time, residential programs encouraging recycling, as well as reduction and reuse, appeared. A system of change was implemented. Significant improvements have been made in transportation and distribution of products. These enhancements include a reduction in the use of paper packaging, a much higher reuse of wooden pallets, and the re-design of packaging used in the transport of heavy products. All this is just the tip of the iceberg. As the tale of the Titanic shows, it's what you don't see that can topple you.
Canadians should be proud of their results to date. So, can our commitment to NaPP be retired? No. We can be comfortable with our success but not complacent. There are other materials to be diverted from landfill, not just packaging, and as our prosperity and population grows we must continue to make waste diversion work. There are further improvements that Canadians will have to make along the supply chain to achieve closure of the loop, thus preventing waste from reaching our landfills.
As Canadians continue to sail through an increasingly prosperous time moving farther down the path to a global economy, we must remain vigilant in working hard to improve the bottom line and maximize resource utilization. It is a challenge which NaPP stakeholders look forward to.
FOR DETAILS ON NAPP ...SEE: Page 2 VISIT: CCME's web site at: http:www.mbnet.mb.ca/ccme CONTACT: Ms. Diane Kunec, Coordinator, |
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