It makes commercial sense to become a participant in the Bedding Stewardship Scheme
Initiating change is the hardest part of any project or initiative. We all just need to get started somewhere!
Have you considered kickstarting your participation in the Bedding Stewardship Scheme in your commercial operations? If you supply to retail and commercial (B2B or B2G) it could be a great opportunity to really make a difference!
The Australian Government is committed to industry driven product stewardship as the most effective way to tackle products at end of life to keep them out of landfill. The Federal Minister for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water, the Hon. Tanya Plibersek, placed the bedding industry on notice in November 2022 by adding mattresses to The Ministers Priority List. She needs to see tangible action by industry to participate in the Bedding Stewardship Scheme or face regulation, and she will make the call about what that entails and how much it will cost.
Many industries and particularly retailers are grappling with how to implement product stewardship into their organisations and in particular, how to pass on the fee to consumers. Commercial contracts can be more straightforward.
Increasingly within tenders and contractual arrangements, ethical and social governance (ESG) objectives require that suppliers can demonstrate support of product stewardship for their products supplied. Through the National Product Stewardship Investment Fund (NPSIF), the AU Government has invested millions of dollars to finance the design and implementation of industry led initiatives and through their procurement functions, preference organisations that have chosen to participate to support that investment of government funding. Maximise your opportunities to secure supply by participating in the Bedding Stewardship scheme. It demonstrates –
- Willingness to take responsibility and lead the way
- The provision of responsible recycling solutions where available and the desire to grow access to responsible recycling
- The intention to address products at the end of their useful life
- A position or strategy to consider and encompass the right to repair and re-use into product design/services as the Australian Right to Repair Legislation moves forward
- Consideration of product design to move toward a circular economy.
The bedding industry has a lot of work to do to meet the expectations of both government and consumers around moving towards a circular economy and it is difficult to do in isolation. That is why an industry led approach through collaboration and product stewardship is so important. Show your leadership and become a participant in the Bedding Stewardship Scheme by making a start in the commercial arm of your business.
Contact Jane Street – ABSC Stakeholder Engagement Manager to discuss this opportunity jstreet@beddingstewardship.org.au.
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