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Packaging and labelling

Industry Commission inquiry report

Signed 14 / 02 / 1996

This report was signed on 14 February 1996 and subsequently released by the Commonwealth Government.

The report contains the findings of the Industry Commission public inquiry on Australian industries supplying packaging and labelling, including the efficiency of the Australian industries supplying packaging and labelling for downstream industries (including the food processing industry and the commercial and industrial packaging industry).

Particular attention is paid to plastics, steel and aluminium cans, paper and cardboard, glass and composite materials sectors, and assess the implications of full social cost pricing to these industries.

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  • Contents

Preliminaries
Cover, Copyright, Signing Page, Contents, Abbreviations, Glossary, Overview

PART A INTRODUCTION

1 Packaging and labelling in Australia
1.1 Scope of the inquiry
1.2 The benefits and costs of packaging and labelling
1.3 The packaging and labelling industries
1.4 Material inputs
1.5 Innovation
1.6 Users of packaging
1.7 Workforce skills and training

PART B COMPETITION AND PERFORMANCE

2 Assessing competition and performance
2.1 Competition and efficiency
2.2 Glass
2.3 Metal containers
2.4 Paper and board packaging
2.5 Plastics packaging
2.6 Labelling

3 International trade issues
3.1 International trade in packaging
3.2 Tariffs on imports
3.3 Prospects for export growth
3.4 Anti-dumping
3.5 Trade liberalisation in foreign markets

4 Enhancing competition
4.1 Industry measures
4.2 Controlling concentration
4.3 Prices oversight

PART C PACKAGING WASTE MANAGEMENT

5 Packaging and waste
5.1 Packaging in the waste stream
5.2 The environmental benefits of packaging
5.3 The environmental costs of packaging
5.4 Full social cost pricing
5.5 Policy mechanisms

6 Recycling and reuse of packaging
6.1 Attitudes to the environment and recycling
6.2 Recycling
6.3 Waste management policy and the use of targets
6.4 Collection of post consumer packaging
6.5 Reuse
6.6 Costs and benefits of waste reduction and recycling targets
6.7 Other regulatory approaches

PART D PACKAGING AND LABELLING REGULATION

7 Packaging and labelling regulation
7.1 Design and responsiveness of regulation
7.2 Performance based regulation
7.3 Labelling regulation
7.4 Labelling standards, enforcement and international trade
7.5 Regulatory institutions

Appendices

A Terms of reference

B Inquiry procedures

C International trade statistics

D Tariff provisions

E Waste management policies in Australia and other countries

F Packaging and labelling regulation

G Regulatory co-operation

References

Printed copies

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