{"id":17893,"date":"2021-03-29T12:09:25","date_gmt":"2021-03-29T01:09:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edgeenvironment.com\/?p=17893"},"modified":"2021-03-30T15:21:20","modified_gmt":"2021-03-30T04:21:20","slug":"edge-and-partners-develop-product-stewardship-scheme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edgeenvironment.com\/cl\/2021\/03\/29\/edge-and-partners-develop-product-stewardship-scheme\/","title":{"rendered":"PRESS RELEASE: Edge and partners secure Federal funding to develop commercial furniture stewardship scheme"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Photo by kate.sade<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this month, the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment awarded a grant to a consortium of industry bodies aimed at solving the problem of commercial office furniture going to landfill. Edge Environment, in collaboration with Good Environmental Choice Australia and the Global Product Stewardship Council, will use the funding to design a product stewardship scheme that will help reduce the estimated 30,000 tonnes of furniture \u2013 much of it in perfectly good condition \u2013 that ends up in Australia\u2019s waste stream each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commenting on the award, Edge CEO, Jonas Bengtsson, said \u201cwe\u2019ve worked on the issue of fitout waste for many years and, despite great leaps forward in diverting materials such as carpet, glass and plasterboard, furniture has remained a stubbornly hard nut to crack. With this funding, we have the opportunity to create a solution that \u2013 with the support of property companies, contractors and furniture companies alike \u2013 has potential to improve environmental outcomes, drive economic benefits and create hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paula Clasby, Head of Engagement & Marketing at GECA added, “All of GECA’s robust ecolabelling standards include product stewardship criteria, emphasising the value of decreasing contribution to landfill and increasing the reuse and recycling rate of the product at the end of its life. However, there have been many challenges when implementing best-practice product stewardship here in Australia. Along with our licensees, we are thrilled at the opportunity this grant will bring to support a successful product stewardship scheme for commercial office furniture, working with all entities involved to create real impact. We’re proud to be part of this collaboration and solution to induce change.” <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Polhill, Vice President of the GlobalPSC and Principal of Circular-e solutions commented, \u201cResponsible commercial furniture disposal is something that government and industry has been looking to achieve for a number of years now, but in essence has been limited and fragmented.<\/em>.<\/em> Product stewardship provides a framework to identify and address market failures and a structure whereby organisations can work collaboratively and efficiently to design a common and targeted stewardship scheme that improves the reuse and recycling of furniture from commercial properties in Australia.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Announcing the funding, Minister Trevor Evans said,<\/em> <\/em>\u201cThe Australian Government have recently provided more than $370,000 to Edge Environment and its partners to develop, in consultation with industry, a commercial furniture product stewardship scheme. When it comes to commercial furniture, we\u2019re talking about a large amount of both textile and plastic waste across the lifecycle of these products from storage and delivery through to the actual components in the furniture. We\u2019re excited to get behind this new scheme which focuses on waste streams that are priorities for our government.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project is due to kick off in April and will run until 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Edge Environment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Established in 2008, Edge is a specialist sustainability advisory company focussed on Asia-Pacific and the Americas. Our teams are based in Australia, New Zealand and Chile. We exist to help our clients create value from tackling one of world\u2019s most fundamental challenges: creating truly sustainable economies and societies. We do this by combining science, strategy and storytelling in a way that gives our clients the confidence to take ambitious action, and do well by doing good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We support our clients by working across six areas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n