Product Stewardship

Since 2010, MS2 has provided Secretariat services for the Global Product Stewardship Council, including research, facilitation, governance, membership services, strategy and communications. MS2 Director Russ Martin also serves as Chief Executive Officer of the GlobalPSC.

MS2 examined international product stewardship and extended producer responsibility (EPR) governance models for incorporation with strategic management and restructuring of the Australian Packaging Covenant.

MS2 led technical content and stakeholder engagement on a national product stewardship framework for e-waste in New Zealand.

MS2 was commissioned by Sustainability Victoria to develop the public policy and business case for battery product stewardship in Australia. The project was conducted in partnership with the Australian Battery Recycling Initiative and Global Product Stewardship Council.

For the Australian Government, MS2 reviewed the proposed methodology for determining recycling and recovery rates under the Draft Australian and New Zealand standard for the collection, storage, transportation and treatment of electronic and electrical equipment. MS2 compared key provisions against international best practice, consulted with recyclers and several manufacturers and prepared a proposed written methodology for calculating material recovery rates to address potential deficiencies in the proposed methodology.MS2 was commissioned by Sustainability Victoria to develop the public policy and business case for battery product stewardship in Australia. The project was conducted in partnership with the Australian Battery Recycling Initiative and Global Product Stewardship Council.

MS2 Director Russ Martin was appointed by the Australian Government as an independent expert to the Product Stewardship Advisory Group, which provides advice to the government on products that could be considered for attention under the Product Stewardship Act. The appointment is for a three-year term.

Along with packaging experts from Europe, MS2 is providing independent peer review for AMERIPEN on AMERIPEN's draft report on financial platforms to increase end of life recovery and efficiency of packaging. Although reviewers are not paid for the peer reviews, this provides an important opportunity to help influence the development of product stewardship and producer responsibility for packaging in the U.S.

For the Australian Government, MS2 reviewed the proposed methodology for determining recycling and recovery rates under the Draft Australian and New Zealand standard for the collection, storage, transportation and treatment of electronic and electrical equipment. MS2 compared key provisions against international best practice, consulted with recyclers and several manufacturers and prepared a proposed written methodology for calculating material recovery rates to address potential deficiencies in the proposed methodology.

MS2 developed product stewardship strategies for TES-AMM Australia and Battery World Australia to assist the companies in expanding commercial opportunities resulting from new product stewardship frameworks under Australia's Product Stewardship Act 2011. In addition to commercial analysis and strategy, the strategies and their implementation integrated government relations and communications. Building on the product stewardship strategy, MS2 has also verified environment, quality and OH&S practices of the recovery chain, conducted stakeholder consultations and facilitated recycling workshops with franchisees for Battery World.

MS2 was commissioned to conduct research and analysis for a range of international best practice approaches and options for packaging recovery, recycling and litter reduction in support of the Packaging Impacts Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (CRIS) conducted for Australia’s Environment Ministers, serving as the Environmental Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC). Various approached examined in the MS2 report included a national container deposit scheme (CDS), an advance disposal fee and actions targeting away from home recycling, including industry-driven producer responsibility schemes. MS2 has developed Australia-specific models of best practice CDS and an industry-driven producer responsibility scheme for consultations with stakeholders and cost-benefit analysis in the CRIS.

In a project for the Australian Government, MS2 (on behalf of Perchards) consulted with key stakeholders and investigated whether it was feasible and appropriate to develop robust and defensible conversion factors to convert import quantities of televisions, computers and computer peripherals into weight to support the operation of the National Television and Computer Product Stewardship Scheme. Following the feasibility study, MS2 developed the conversion factors for public release and incorporation into Regulations. MS2 recently updated the conversion factors as a result of refinements to the Customs codes utilised. 

MS2 has developed Australian Packaging Covenant Action Plans and other packaging product stewardship initiatives for a range of companies including Bayer, Thermos, Kodak, Sonoco Australia and C & M Antoniou.

Reducing Externalities of Waste Disposal
Veolia Environmental Services commissioned MS2 to prepare an extended briefing paper outlining options and rationale for crediting waste disposal operators that reduce the externalities of waste disposal through gas capture, energy recovery and other means.

Glass Recovery Data Collection and Market Analysis
The Australian Packaging Covenant Council and New South Wales Office of Environment & Heritage commissioned MS2 to conduct data collection and market analyses of glass recycling on a national and state basis, respectively. The projects build upon MS2's previous efforts for these clients by examining trends in primary and secondary markets for recovered glass.

Global Product Stewardship Council

MS2 are Foundation Members and help lead the creation of the Global Product Stewardship Council in April 2010, as well as the GlobalPSC's subsequent development. The GlobalPSC is an independent, not-for-profit forum for product stewardship development and an online resource for information on product stewardship policies and programs across the world. The GlobalPSC's vision is to facilitate the development of effective product stewardship schemes globally. GlobalPSC members have headquarters or facilities in ten countries and include businesses of all sizes, NGOs and governments at federal, state/provincial and local levels. Russ Martin is CEO of the GlobalPSC.

As a membership-based organisation providing an online clearinghouse of independent, objective information on product stewardship, the GlobalPSC does not advocate for or against particular approaches. Rather, the GlobalPSC helps stakeholders to understand the objectives, strengths and weaknesses of various programs based on independent, peer-reviewed analysis and sharing information on emerging initiatives through an international network of product stewardship practitioners.

As President of the GlobalPSC, MS2 Director Russ Martin testified before an Australian Senate Parliamentary committee on the development of product stewardship framework legislation, following appointment by the Australian Government to the advisory body for the legislation and preparation of the GlobalPSC's submission to the Senate. Russ also presented to, and facilitated discussions of, the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators in the US.

Product stewardship is an environmental management strategy guided by the principle that whoever designs, produces, sells or uses a product bears some degree of responsibility for minimising that product's environmental impact. It is increasingly used around the world as a highly effective means to achieve good environmental outcomes. The GlobalPSC provides specialised insight into establishing and operating product stewardship programs - whether voluntary, regulatory or co-regulatory - across a range of sectors.

Product Stewardship Study for Australian Government
The Australian Government commissioned MS2 and Perchards to examine a range of product stewardship programs in North America and Europe. The report featured prominently in the Government's development of a national waste policy for Australia and framework legislation for product stewardship.

Public Place Recycling
The Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management commissioned MS2 to conduct an independent assessment of the Queensland Government's two-year, $1 million Public Place Recycling Program and subsequently to assist in communications regarding the program.

Recycling Composite Cans
MS2 assisted Sonoco in promoting awareness of recyclability and other sustainability aspects of spiral wound containers, otherwise known as "composite cans". Activities included regulatory affairs, recycling trials and communications.

Lion Nathan Sustainability Report
MS2 assisted brewer Lion Nathan in development of its 'FY08 Sustainability Report'. 

Improving Glass Recycling
In 2009, MS2 assisted Colmax Glass in securing National Packaging Covenant funding to expand their glass processing plant north of Sydney and to locate a new glass processing plant in Brisbane. MS2 also assisted Colmax in a feasibility study for establishing an integrated glass autosort and glass 'fines' processing plant in Western Australia. Colmax won the Evolution Award for Most Outstanding Demonstration of Packaging Waste Management in Australia.

Environment Ministers Endorse Packaging Recycling Rates
In considering the Mid-Term Review of the National Packaging Covenant in November 2008, Australia's Environment Ministers agreed that the findings of the review provided a firm basis for discussion about extending the Covenant arrangements beyond its expiry in June 2010. MS2 compiled the packaging recycling rate determinations that were a key component of the review. The National Packaging Covenant Council recently commissioned MS2 to update Australian glass recycling data. 

Status of Packaging Sustainability in Australia
MS2 and UK-based consultancy Perchards developed the first "Status of Packaging Sustainability in Australia" report for the Packaging Council of Australia. MS2 has presented findings from the report at a variety of functions throughout Australia.

Peer Recognition for Leadership
In 2015, MS2 Director Russ Martin won the Global Green Future Leadership Award from the World CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Congress.

In 2008, peers nominated Russ to the WME Leaders List.