Australian ECO Programs
Panasonic Australia is committed to a range of environmental activities that are carried out to reduce the impact of its business activities on the environment and the in-use and end-of-life impact of its products on the environment.
Cartridges 4 Planet Ark
Panasonic is a Sponsor of the program 'Cartridges 4 Planet Ark'.
This initiative markets to consumers and small businesses that print consumables from any photocopier, fax machine or printer can be recycled rather than disposed of in landfill. Any brand and any type of cartridge can be placed into the special collection boxes at participating Australia Post, Officeworks, Harvey Norman, Dick Smith Electronics, PowerHouse and Tandy stores, to be recycled. Businesses who use a large volume of printer cartridges can also have a collection box in their office, for free.
To register your business to the program or to find your closest drop off location call the 'Cartridges 4 Planet Ark' hotline on 1800 24 24 73 or visit www.planetark.com/cartridges.
Australian company 'Close the Loop®' provides the recycling and resource recovery for the consumables. Over 50% of the products are returned to the Original Manufacturer for their own reuse and component recovery programs whilst the remaining volume is recycled with Zero Waste. Annually they are independently audited to ensure they achieve the Zero Waste to Landfill guarantee. The complex mix of plastics, ink, toner are recycled into eWood™ - a timber replacement product which is used in a variety of applications such as garden furniture, fencing and signage.
National Packaging Covenant
This unique Government and Industry led program commenced in 1999. The Australian Government sought to encourage organisations to join the National Packaging
Covenant and embrace the principles of product stewardship by developing innovative strategies to reduce packaging waste going to landfill and to contribute funds
to develop improved kerbside recycling programs.
The aims are to include all organisations within the packaging supply chain to work together to reduce packaging waste at all points in the chain.
Panasonic became a signatory to the Covenant in July 2000. As a signatory to the covenant, Panasonic has now successfully diverted in excess of 79% of business waste from landfill and is working to improve this figure.
Product Stewardship for Electronic and Electrical Products
Panasonic is a foundation member of the organisation, Product Stewardship Australia (PSA), which is working with government to introduce a product stewardship
scheme to cover the collection, reuse and recycling of end-of life TVs.
Visit: www.productstewardship.asn.au
Air Conditioning Refrigerant
Panasonic is a member of the product stewardship scheme, Refrigerant Reclaim Australia and funds the take-back of its end-of-life refrigerant from air conditioners.