Stewardship for packaging and packaging waste: key policy elements for sustainability

Most analysts are still watching for the concrete institutional commitment and policy tools necessary to implement the conceptual shift needed to achieve sustainability. Recent stewardship policies and programs for packaging and packaging waste offer a timely example of the approaches that might be taken to reduce the impact of packaging and packaging waste and put us on a path towards sustainability. Through a comparison of the Canadian National Packaging Protocol and the European Parliament Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive and corresponding literature, approaches to the issue of packaging stewardship are explored, and the essential elements of packaging stewardship policy are established. These include take-back obligations, waste-prevention obligations, and life-cycle analysis reporting obligations. Each of these is discussed, and examples are drawn from Canadian provinces and European Union member states. As well, three policy vehicles easing the implementation of the essential elements are developed, including the transfer of take-back obligations, levy fees, and international standards for life-cycle assessment. Direction is presented regarding the future development of packaging stewardship policy in Canada. In particular, Canada's policies must evolve to create a contractual obligation for firms to meet quantified targets for reducing waste from packaging. A specific obligation for take-back and valorization of packaging waste, as well as an obligation to reduce packaging, would greatly improve Canada's packaging-stewardship policies.