ECO-Buy Limited Australian Packaging Covenant Action Plan (Final) September 2012 June 2015 1
Summary This is ECO-Buy s first action plan as a new Signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant. We are pleased to extend our commitment to sustainable practices to incorporate further emphasis on packaging, both in terms of our own procurement (which is minimal) and through our work in sustainable procurement with clients in government and the corporate sectors (many of whom are also Covenant Signatories). The key elements of this action plan are: Reviewing our current Green Procurement Policy to ensure it is aligned with the Sustainable Packaging Guidelines Gradually incorporating relevant information on packaging into our client services (advice, consulting, training) Extending the range of detail on ECO-Find to include suppliers packaging practices, as this will provide useful information for purchasers. The plan covers the period from September 2012 through to the end of June 2015. Approved by: Hugh Wareham Chief Executive Officer, ECO-Buy Limited 7 September 2012 2
Organisational information ECO-Buy provides independent advice, expertise and resources to help organisations across the public and private sectors reduce their environmental impacts and achieve efficiency savings through procurement. We began in 2000 as the Local Government Buy Recycled Alliance (LGBRA). The LGBRA worked with Victorian local governments to increase the level of recycled content products purchased, and then became the more comprehensive ECO-Buy program. In May 2007 ECO-Buy became an independent not for profit organisation, with initial financial support from the Victorian Government. We now work with a range of public and private sector organisations across Australia enabling them to implement sustainable procurement and build a green supply chain. Clients include the Australian Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (DSEWPaC), the Government of South Australia, more than 30 departments of the Victorian Government, local governments in four states, several universities, major corporates including NAB and Toyota Australia, and the Taiwanese Government. A key part of our work is to connect organisational purchasers with suppliers of genuine green products through ECO-Find, a proprietary online resource, as well as holding expos and forums to facilitate engagement between purchasers and suppliers. Our vision is that every purchasing decision made in Australia takes the environment into account, considers the full life-cycle of the product or service, and that a vibrant market of suppliers exists to fulfil environmental purchasing needs. ECO-Buy has seven staff and an annual turnover of $850,000. We do not produce or supply any products but primarily provide professional advisory services. In doing so the organisation purchases goods such as office consumables, food and beverages and aims to minimise the packaging provided. Our approach is to equip purchasers with knowledge, tools and skills based on our 12 years of practical experience and informed by leading practice from Australia and globally. We offer the following services to clients: Procurement advice Developing environmental purchasing policy and strategy, integrating environmental considerations into tenders and contracts, and tracking and reporting on expenditure Benchmarking against internationally recognised leading practice using our online Sustainable Procurement Assessment Tool. Supply chain engagement Assessing risks and opportunities in the supply chain Reviewing, selecting and evaluating suppliers. 3
Sourcing environmentally preferable products Identifying genuine green products and services and validation of green product claims Advice on selecting greener alternatives ECO-Find - a comprehensive online directory of independently assessed green products and suppliers - www.ecofind.org.au Research Identifying and analysing best practice Developing frameworks and tools for purchasing greener alternatives. Staff engagement and training Providing knowledge and skills to make environmental purchasing business as usual Disseminating credible, accurate information and sharing best practice through expos and technical forums Packaging groups and schedule for packaging reviews ECO-Buy is a professional services organisation and does not produce or supply any products, or own any product brands. This section therefore is not applicable. Covenant contact officer Rosalie Maxted Business Manager (03) 9349 0400 rmaxted@ecobuy.org.au Suite 301 60 Leicester Street Carlton 3053 Victoria 4
Action Plan 1. Design - optimise packaging to achieve resource efficiency and reduce environmental impact Performance goals and KPIs Actions Responsibility Baseline data Target Milestone KPI 1 Proportion of signatories in the supply chain implementing the SPGs for design or procurement of packaging Target: 70% of Covenant signatories with documented policies and procedures for evaluating and procuring packaging using the SPGs or equivalent ECO-Buy will adapt existing supplier questionnaire (used for its own procurement) to incorporate additional questions on packaging aligned to SPG. Business Manager Existing questionnaire to be adapted. All ECO-Buy s own procurements will include requirements on packaging. June 2013 Target: 70% of Covenant signatories assessing 100% of new packaging and 50% of existing packaging against the guidelines 5
2. Recycling - the efficient collection and recycling of packaging Performance goals and KPIs Actions Responsibility Baseline data Target Milestone KPI 3 Proportion of signatories with on-site recovery systems for recycling used packaging 1) Continue to educate new staff regarding waste management via induction session. 1) Business Manager 1) System is working well; no change required. 1) New staff educated. 1) N/A 2) For events/conferences held off-site, ECO-Buy will ensure contracts specify that venue should have appropriate arrangements in place for recycling used packaging. 2) Program Managers 2) Usually happens; policy needs to be applied consistently. 2) All agreements with third party venues specify that used packaging must be recycled. 2) June 2013 KPI 4 Proportion of signatories with a policy to buy products made from recycled packaging. All Covenant signatories will have a formal, documented policy of buying recycled products or materials Update existing policy to incorporate ECO-Buy s commitments as a Packaging Covenant Signatory. Business Manager ECO-Buy has an existing Green Procurement Policy which commits the organisation to buying recycled content products in preference to those containing virgin materials. Policy includes APC commitments. June 2013 6
3. Product Stewardship - demonstrated commitment to product stewardship Performance goals and KPIs Actions Responsibility Baseline data Target Milestone KPI 6 Proportion of signatories that have formal processes for working with others to improve design and recycling of packaging Target: 70% of Covenant signatories implementing formal policies and procedures in working with others to improve design, procurement and recovery of packaging KPI 7 Proportion of signatories demonstrating other product stewardship outcomes 1) ECO-Buy will provide information on SPG and the APC to relevant clients (procurement and environment staff). 2) ECO-Buy will ensure procurement training and workshops include sufficient focus on packaging. 3) ECO-Buy will extend scope of information covered by ECO- Find (green product database for purchasers) to include information on listed product suppliers packaging practices. Covered by response to KPI 6 above. 1) Program Managers 2) Program Managers 3) Research Manager 1) Supply chain assessments undertaken for clients already incorporate questions on packaging, procurement advice eg. on tenders/ contracts sometimes includes reference to packaging. 2) Existing material needs review. 3) Nothing currently in place. 1) Advice provided to clients on procurement of products will incorporate references to packaging as appropriate. 2) Procurement training and workshops will include appropriate coverage of packaging. 3) ECO-Find will include details of listed suppliers packaging practices. 1) June 2014 2) June 2014 3) June 2015 7
KPI 8 Reduction in the number of packaging items in litter ECO-Buy will encourage client organisations to develop policies which ensure responsible disposal of used packaging. Program Managers Nothing currently in place. Where relevant, ECO- Buy advice to clients will include litter management. June 2014 Reviewing the action plan This action plan will be reviewed, as a minimum, at the end of each financial year and more frequently if any organisational changes warrant (for example, staff changes or material changes to our service offering). The CEO will be responsible for ensuring the review takes place. Positions/Departments responsible ECO-Buy is a small not-for-profit with seven staff, and as such all members of the team are involved in initiatives which impact widely across the organisations activities. The actions set out in this plan will be the responsibility of the most relevant team member, with oversight from the CEO. Supply chain collaboration ECO-Buy s own supply chain is very small as most of our purchasing relates to office-based activities and events. Our work for clients includes a significant emphasis on greening supply chains and this offers scope to influence more sustainable practices in relation to procurement of products which require packaging, and for suppliers to adopt sustainable packaging practices. 8