Industry Update August 2013

Transcription

1 Industry Update August 2013 Keeping the agvet chemical industry informed about environmental stewardship About this update Welcome to another Industry Update from AgStewardship Australia. When we talk to agvet chemical manufacturers many of you say you d like to know more about AgStewardship Australia and our key programs drummuster and ChemClear. This update provides a snapshot of the latest news relevant to your business. Contents: ACCC re-authorisation 20 years of Agsafe Queensland farmers welcome ChemClear again Improper use of drummuster logo New products added under Product Stewardship Act AgStewardship looking for new CEO Performance snap-shots Total drums collected to date: 21,950,667 Total waste chemcials to date New members signed on in since Jul 2012: 388,000 L/kg Agritec Pty Ltd, Freezone Pty Ltd, Granular Products Pty Ltd, OzCrop Pty Ltd, Pacific Agriscience Pty Ltd, Pestech Australia Pty Ltd, Profeng Australia Pty Ltd, Sinochem Australia Pty Ltd, Biogrow Australia Pty Ltd, LawrieCo Biological Farming Pty Ltd

2 ACCC re-authorisation The current ACCC authorisation, which allows AgStewardship Australia to charge the 4c/L levy to fund its stewardship programs drummuster and ChemClear, is due to expire in February In order that the programs can continue AgStewardship Australia has submitted an application for a new authorisation for another five year period. In reaching its decision, the ACCC will consider the public benefits arising from the programs and the public detriment resulting from the increased cost to the end-user as a result of the levy. AgStewardship Australia submits that public benefits generated by the programs are substantial and necessary, and out-weigh the detriment to the public. The ACCC typically allows for a period of public consultation for a re-authorisation application and makes a call for submission from interested parties. As agvet chemical manufacturers are directly affected by the collection and passing on of the levy, it s important that they engage in the consultation process and share their views on the re-authorisation application with the ACCC. AgStewardship Australia is encouraging agvet chemical manufacturers to have their say when the ACCC seeks comment later this year. You can download a Fact Sheet about the ACCC application here. 20 years of Agsafe AgStewardship Australia was pleased to help Agsafe celebrate its 20th birthday at a dinner in Brisbane in July. Both organisations have shared a close relationship since AgStewardship Australia first contracted Agsafe in 2009 to run the operational aspects of its two voluntary stewardship programs drummuster and ChemClear. Since then these programs have become some of the most successful examples of voluntary product stewardship in agriculture anywhere in the world. During its 20 years Agsafe has played a crucial role in advancing practical stewardship in Australia. Through drummuster, ChemClear and its accreditation and training programs Agsafe helps farmers, chemical users and resellers with all aspects of their agricultural chemical activity from the point of sale through to the disposal of chemicals and the recycling of empty agvet containers. AgStewardship Australia s Karen Gomez said Agsafe s 20 year milestone demonstrates that good product stewardship is truly part and parcel of Australian agriculture and is here to stay. We congratulate Agsafe on their great work over the last two decades and wish them continued successes in the years to come, Ms Gomez said. The birthday dinner was held at Brisbane s Eagle Farm Race Course to coincide with Agsafe s annual conference. Attendees included members of CropLife Australia, AgStewardship Australia, The Veterinary Manufacturers & Distributors Association, Elders, CRT and Rural-Co, Aglink and Growcom amongst many others.

3 Agsafe s management team celebrating 20 years of successful stewardship (L-R) Frances Cameron, Allan McGann, Lisa Nixon and Martin Shafron Queensland farmers welcome ChemClear again This year s ChemClear collection through Queensland is being well supported by farmers and comes as many continue to clean up following a round of bad weather early in the year. It s the first collection in the state since 2011 when the Queensland Government and AgStewardship agreed to work together to ensure a safe disposal path for damaged agvet chemicals following the devastating floods and Cyclone Yasi. Since then another 25,000 litres of unwanted or out-of-date agvet chemicals were collected from Queensland through the program for disposal. Just over 14,000 litres was eligible for funding by the drummuster levy. The Queensland Government has again shown its support for ChemClear by providing $20,000 to subsidise for this year s collection. AgStewardship Australia CEO Karen Gomez said it was encouraging to see farmers are continuing to use ChemClear to dispose of unwanted agvet chemicals. The participation rates in both 2011 and 2013 show that farmers want to keep their farms and surrounding environment safe from chemical waste and see ChemClear as providing an important and valuable service, Ms Gomez said.

4 Gino Celentano collects registered waste chemicals during the Queensland Collection Improper use of drummuster logo It s been brought to the attention of AgStewardship Australia that some agvet chemical manufacturers are inadvertently putting the drummuster logo on returnable 1000 litre shuttles and 110L enviro-drums. Neither of these container types are part of the drummuster program and therefore should not carry the drummuster logo. Improper use of the logo can be both misleading and confusing for customers and waste management partners. It implies that a levy has been paid on the container when in fact it hasn t. Please make sure that the drummuster logo is only used on eligible containers (non-returnable packs greater than 1 litre and less than 205 litres in volume) of companies that have signed up to the program. Details about proper use of the logo can be downloaded here.

5 New products added under Product Stewardship Act The annual list of products under consideration through the Product Stewardship Act was released on 30 June 2013 by the Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and Urban Water, Senator Amanda Rishworth. The list is designed to provide certainty to the community and business about what is being considered for either co-regulation or mandatory regulation under the Act. Products on the list were: Waste architectural and decorative paint End-of-life handheld batteries (less than 2kg in weight) Packaging (and subsets of packaging, such as consumer packaging and beverage packaging) End-of-life air conditioners with small gas charges End-of-life refrigerators with small gas charges Reasons given for the inclusion of each product can be found here. In determining the list, the Parliamentary Secretary sought advice from a range of sources including the Product Stewardship Advisory Group, of which AgStewardship Australia s CEO Karen Gomez is a member. Government is taking the regulation of product stewardship very seriously, as the new list demonstrates, said Ms Gomez. No agvet chemical products have been included in this year s list however Ms Gomez said industry should remain vigilant in its effort toward the ongoing improvement of its voluntary scheme. The experience in other jurisdictions, such as New Zealand, suggests that waste agvet chemical products will always be potential candidates for stewardship regulation. The industry must continue to develop and improve their stewardship programs otherwise increased regulation may be a reality for them, Ms Gomez said. AgStewardship looking for new CEO After more than 4 years at the helm, AgStewardship Australia's inaugural CEO Karen Gomez will step down at the end of August to take up a senior leadership position with the Australian Institute of Management. AgStewardship Australia Chairman Lauchlan McIntosh thanked Karen for her outstanding contribution as CEO. Karen has ensured that AgStewardship has realised the mission that the organisation was set up to do. Its members were keen to have a separate independent company to manage and strategically overview the agricultural chemical industry waste management processes. Under her watch we have seen drum and chemical collections continue to grow, participating manufacturers rise, costs reduce and stabilise, governance improve and engagement with stakeholders deepen.

6 On behalf of the Board I would like to acknowledge Karen's strong contribution as CEO and thank her for dedication and commitment to AgStewardship Australia specifically, and to the goal of improving stewardship in Australian agriculture and associated chemical industries more broadly. We wish her well in her new role, Mr McIntosh said. Expressions of Interest for the position of CEO are currently being sought and the Board expects to make a new appointment by the end of October. For feedback, ideas, suggestions or to unsubscribe: us.