The Recycling Leadership Forum was established in May 2024. It brings together brand owners and representatives from the retail, packaging, food and grocery, recycling, and local government sectors. It provides expert advice and information to the Ministry for the Environment on improving the recyclability and recovery of packaging materials.
The forum:
The independent chair of the forum serving from 1 November 2024 is:
| Independent Chair | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rachel Reese |
The current members appointed to the forum are:
| Name | Role and organisation | Sector |
|---|---|---|
| Raewyn Bleakley | CE, Food and Grocery Council | Brand owners/food and grocery |
| Cameron Scott | Vice Chair, Food and Grocery Council | Brand owners/food and grocery |
| Sandy Botterill | Head of Environmental Social Governance, Foodstuffs | Retailers |
| Ann-Marie Johnson | Manager, Advocacy, Advice and Communications, Retail New Zealand | Retailers |
| Alec McNeil | Manager Resource Recovery, Christchurch City Council | Local government |
| Parul Sood | Deputy Director Resilience and Infrastructure, Auckland Council | Local government |
| Harry Burkhardt | President, Packaging New Zealand | Packaging sector |
| Rob Langford | CEO, The Packaging Forum | Packaging sector |
| Daniel Yallop | NZ Business Development Manager, Re.Group | Recycling sector |
| Chris Lobb | General Manager Special Projects, Enviro NZ | Recycling sector |
The forum meets approximately every six to eight weeks. A short summary for each forum meeting is shown below.
This was the first meeting of the Recycling Leadership Forum (RLF). The key focus for the meeting was to outline the purpose of the group and to provide an opportunity for members to introduce themselves.
The Ministry for the Environment (MfE) outlined the background and purpose for the RLF and provided an overview of the proposed Terms of Reference. The roles and responsibilities of MfE, forum members, and the Independent Chair were agreed upon as part of this discussion and MfE proposed a process for appointing the Independent Chair. MfE agreed to circulate a draft Forward Work Programme before the RLF’s second meeting.
The intention of forming a New Zealand Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) Advisory Group was discussed. This group would serve as a formal link between the RLF and the ARL.
Three initial focus materials were identified for discussion in subsequent meetings: aerosols, caps and lids, and thresholds for complex fibre (fibre packaging with linings or other non-fibre components).
MfE provided an update on progress to appoint an Independent Chair. A subcommittee was formed to support the selection process. The meeting one minutes were confirmed. Further discussion took place on the Terms of Reference and MfE presented the forum with a proposed forward work programme for discussion. MfE agreed to revise these documents to incorporate member feedback. Members agreed that a key deliverable of the RLF would be a roadmap report, outlining pathways forward for focus materials.
Three focus topics were discussed. These were: aerosols, caps and lids, and thresholds for complex fibre (fibre packaging with linings or other non-fibre components). This initial discussion was to raise the associated issues for each material with the intention of more in-depth discussions to take place in subsequent meetings. Three subgroups were formed to further investigate the recycling challenges and opportunities for each material. The subgroups agreed to progress their work in advance of the RLF’s third meeting.
The meeting two minutes and the Forward Work Programme were confirmed. It was agreed that the confidentiality clauses of the Terms of Reference should be amended to ensure RLF members can communicate and engage with their sectors as intended. An update on work to appoint a RLF Independent Chair was also provided.
Membership of the NZ ARL Advisory Group was announced. The NZ ARL Advisory Group will provide New Zealand specific input to the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), when APCO considers changes to the NZ ARL.
Three focus materials were discussed: aerosols, caps and lids, and thresholds for complex fibre (fibre packaging with linings or other non-fibre components). The aerosols subgroup provided an update on their work to investigate the challenges and opportunities associated with collection and recycling. For caps and lids, the Packaging Forum discussed their recent launch of a drop off Caps and Lids Recycling Scheme. Further RLF discussions will cover learnings from this scheme as next steps for caps and lids recycling are considered. Complex fibre thresholds were discussed at a high level and will be revisited in more detail at meeting four.
If you have any questions about the Recycling Leadership Forum please email recyclingleadershipforum@mfe.govt.nz.