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PACKAGING

CANADA EXCEEDS TARGET TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF PACKAGING SENT FOR DISPOSAL FOUR YEARS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE

Newfoundland: January 30, 1998- Canada exceeded its year 2000 target to reduce the weight of packaging sent for disposal four years ahead of schedule, according to a report released by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME). The amount of packaging sent for disposal has been reduced 51 percent compared to baseline estimates established in 1988 by the CCME National Packaging Task Force, a voluntary group comprised of representatives from governments, industry, consumer and environmental groups. The target is one of three milestones identified in the National Packaging Protocol, a voluntary commitment to turn around Canada's packaging waste generation and disposal practices.

The Protocol created six packaging policies for Canada and voluntarily set as its main target a 50 percent reduction in packaging sent for disposal by the year 2000. The first target of a 20 percent reduction by 1992 was exceeded by one percent. This achievement translated into 1.17 tonnes less aluminum, glass, paper, plastic, steel and wood going to disposal. The second target was set for 1996 at 35 percent and the third target was 50 percent reduction by the wnd of 2000.

The 1996 results revealed that the weight of disposed packaging fell from 5.41 million tonnes in 1988 to 2.64 million tonnes in 1996, representing a 56 percent reduction on a per-capita basis. The year 2000 target was exceeded despite an 11 percent increase in Canada's population.

The most significant gains in packaging reduction were on the shipping, manufacturing and distribution side - which represented 60 percent of packaging used in 1988, compared to 40 percent for consumer packaging.

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