$118,750 new funding for Smart Packaging project

Wanaka Wastebusters today welcomed $118,750 of new funding from the Waste Minimisation Fund to help consumers and businesses make smart packaging choices.

“We’re delighted to receive this funding, because it means we can run the 2012 Unpackit Awards to find the best and worst packaging in NZ,” said Wanaka Wastebusters spokesperson Gina Dempster.

The Unpackit Awards were run for the first time in 2011. The winners of both the best and the worst awards are chosen by public vote.

“We had a fantastic response from the public to the Unpackit Awards last year – with over 100 nominations and nearly 9,000 votes. We’re aiming to get even more people involved this year.”

Ms Dempster said the Unpackit Awards give a big thumbs up to the companies who are doing a great job of minimising the environmental impact of their packaging.

“Unfortunately, there are still companies who design their packaging to look good, without thinking about its impact on the environment or what happens to it at the end of its life. The Unpackit Awards encourage them to do better for the environment, and for consumers,” said Ms Dempster.

Ms Dempster said the 2012 Unpackit Awards would be even bigger and better this year.

“We are introducing categories into the awards, so that companies will be competing against other companies producing similar goods. It’s going to make the awards even more exciting.”

Nominations for the 2012 Unpackit Packaging Awards can be made by going to the Unpackit website www.unpackit.org. Nominations open Wednesday 12th October.

ENDS

The Smart Packaging project is designed to help consumers make better packaging choices. The project has received financial support from the Waste Minimisation Fund, which is administered by the Ministry for the Environment. The Ministry for the Environment does not necessarily endorse or support the content of this press release or the website.

Wanaka Wastebusters is a community enterprise set up by the Wanaka community ten years ago. Our work includes recycling, reuse and education for sustainability services. All surpluses are put back into our services with the vision of achieving a 70 percent resource recovery target for our community by 2014.

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