The AIP would like to introduce our latest collaborative association; the Packaging Forum in New Zealand. The Packaging Forum was constituted from the Glass Packaging Forum as a broader packaging organisation focused on working with the community to provide product stewardship across all packaging materials.

The Packaging Forum operates two voluntary product stewardship schemes for Glass Packaging and Public Place Recycling accredited under the Waste Minimisation Act (2008). In 2015 the Packaging Forum launched a new initiative to collect soft plastic packaging for recycling at retail outlets.

The objectives of the Packaging Forum are:

• To promote and develop a philosophy of product stewardship among those involved in the packaging industry;
• To create and oversee delivery of accredited Product Stewardship schemes under the Waste Minimisation Act 2008 and any subsequent legislation;
• To develop processes and programmes which utilise post-consumer packaging effectively and viably;
• To provide a forum in which other stakeholders in the collection and subsequent utilisation of waste consumer packaging containers can work together to achieve best-practice outcomes;
• To provide the packaging sector with representation to government in order to identify and establish optimised approaches to product stewardship in the sector.

The Packaging Forum operates two accredited voluntary packaging product stewardship schemes plus a new soft plastics collection programme and is an advocate for the packaging industry. It commissions research relating to packaging waste minimisation and litter abatement while supporting the community by funding projects and providing technical services to its members.