By Helen Jarman – Managing Director, Infoactiv

I am writing about some very positive news.

Over the last year, Infoactiv has made a strong and clear commitment to sustainability and delivering environmentally preferable solutions and services. As part of this process, Infoactiv appointed John Gertsakis as its first Chief Sustainability Officer. John will be known to some of you as being one of Australia’s  leading advocates of product stewardship and its application in business. His history and direct involvement in life-cycle thinking and producer responsibility for e-waste is comprehensive, and spans over a decade of consulting to brands, industry associations and governments in Australia and New Zealand.

John’s work on making product stewardship for televisions and computers a reality, has been recognised by a panel of industry judges through the WME Magazine Leaders List Awards for 2013 under the ‘Resources & Waste’ category.

His nomination for these Awards is a wonderful acknowledgement of thought leadership and hard work as a subject matter specialist, but also his collaborative efforts with others, especially Government, NGOs and industry. John would be the first to note that worthwhile outcomes are the result of many individuals and organisations operating cooperatively, however I know that he has worked tirelessly to see product stewardship policies and programs developed and implemented.

Furthermore, John’s work on product sustainability has been highlighted through his appointment to the Australian Government’s Product Stewardship Advisory Group under the Product Stewardship Act, where his experience is directly relevant to the Group’s deliberations.

John’s nomination for the 2013 WME Magazine Leaders List Awards now enters a public voting process which closes on 10th May. I encourage you to visit the online awards page and cast a vote in his favour under the Resources & Waste category. Join me in supporting the ongoing evolution and development of product stewardship in Australia and region by voting for a passionate and informed sustainability practitioner.

For those not familiar with John’s work directly, check my October 2012 blog post summarising John’s CV and achievements:

Finally, if you would like to have a conversation about Infoactiv’s product recovery programs, please feel free to ring John or myself directly:

Helen Jarman – Managing Director, Infoactiv
T (03) 9403 3400 E Helen.jarman@infoactiv.com.au

John Gertsakis – Chief Sustainability Officer, Infoactiv
M 0409 422 089 E john.gertsakis@infoactiv.com.au

Senator Don Farrell, Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and Urban Water, recently announced the establishment of a Product Stewardship Advisory Group to support the Gillard Government’s work on reducing the environmental, health and safety impacts of manufactured goods.

Senator Farrell said the group will provide independent advice to the government on products that could be considered for attention under the Gillard Government’s landmark Product Stewardship Act.

“The Gillard Government is committed to reducing the impacts of products and the substances within them on the environment and on the health and safety of human beings,” he said.

“We introduced product stewardship legislation because Australians want product manufacturers, importers, distributors and others to take greater responsibility for the impacts of the goods they bring into the market.

“The first products covered under the Product Stewardship Act were televisions and computers and we’ve already had great early success with an industry run and funded recycling scheme for those products. There are now more than 40 services up and running around Australia under the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme, which is on track to recycle 41,000 tonnes of televisions and computer products this financial year – almost double the entire volume of these products recycled last year.”

The new advisory group will provide advice on possible inclusions on the government’s new annual list of products proposed to be considered for potential product stewardship action under the Act. The first list is scheduled to be published by 30 June 2013.

“Making sure we have the most appropriate products put forward for potential attention under product stewardship legislation is essential to the success of this initiative,” Senator Farrell said.

The Advisory Group’s primary role is to provide independent advice to the Minister for use in the development of a list of products proposed to be considered, during the next financial year, as to whether some form of accreditation or regulation under the Product Stewardship Act 2011 might be appropriate. This list must be published by the Minister annually.

Infoactiv Group welcomes the establishment of the Australian Government’s Product Stewardship Advisory Group to provide advice on materials, industries and waste streams for potential product stewardship action under the Product Stewardship Act.

We are also very pleased that Infoactiv’s Chief Sustainability Officer – John Gertsakis, has been appointed to the Advisory Group. His extensive knowledge and ‘real-world’ experience of where and how Product Stewardship can be applied across the product life cycle will be a valuable input to the group. John’s practical industry experience related to Design for Environment, waste avoidance and end-of-life product management, will be directly relevant and necessary to the Advisory Group’s deliberations.

The Group will be chaired by Ms Kathleen Mackie. Group members are: Mr Jeff Angel (Total Environment Centre); Ms Rebecca Brown (WA Local Government Association); Dr Peter Burn (Australian Industry Group); Mr Philip Casey (CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering); Mr John Gertsakis (Infoactiv Group); Ms Karen Gomez (AgStewardship Australia); Mr Russ Martin (Global Product Stewardship Council); Ms Rose Read (Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association) and Ms Valerie Southam (Waste Management Association of Australia).

The full media release from Senator Don Farrell’s office is available here.

For more information about the Product Stewardship Advisory Group Terms of Reference, look here.

More information:
John Gertsakis – Chief Sustainability Officer
Infoactiv Group
T: +61 3 9403 3429
Email: john.gertsakis@infoactiv.com.au

Infoactiv Group is pleased to announce the appointment of John Gertsakis as the company’s Chief Sustainability Officer. This marks a significant and exciting phase for Infoactiv as we further invest in ensuring sustainability is at the forefront of the solutions we design and provide to our customers.

John will inject considerable experience, knowledge and networks into our leadership team with a view to maximising sustainability performance and communications. This includes undertaking research and development that can inform and drive new products and services at Infoactiv.

John’s focus on business strategies that extend our Product Stewardship programs across product classes and regions will further reinforce the company’s existing capabilities and customer base.

John’s knowledge covering product sustainability, sustainable design, producer responsibility and stakeholder management is extensive. He has a deep familiarity with Infoactiv’s range of services, project partners and customers through his work as a consultant to the company over several years, especially in relation to our e-waste management services.

Furthermore, his enthusiasm for seeing ‘real world’ implementation of Product Stewardship is a great fit for Infoactiv and our dynamic team of supply chain, logistics and waste management specialists.

John has worked as a senior environmental practitioner in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom for over 15 years, and most recently as Senior Associate with WSP Environment & Energy, a major global professional services firm. He has consulted to numerous companies, brands, OEMs and industry associations across the supply chain, including consumer electronics, ICT, commercial furniture, floor coverings and textiles.

John also worked very closely with the Consumer Electronics Suppliers Association to develop the concept for how e-waste could be effectively collected and recycled in Australia. This was followed by his pivotal role as Executive Director of Product Stewardship Australia from 2006 – 2011. His work with PSA and CESA was focused on program design, government relations and direct input to the Product Stewardship Act (2011) as it relates to the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme.

John has written and presented widely in Australia and New Zealand on product sustainability, environmental stewardship, producer responsibility and the role of and intelligent regulation. This includes ‘practice notes’ and guidelines for the Design Institute of Australia and Sustainability Victoria and in his current role as Sustainability Editor for Indesign Magazine. He has also served as a sustainability and design judge for several awards programs including the Premier’s Design Awards (Victoria), the AIIA iAwards, and the Australasian Student Design Awards. John is the Sustainability Chairman for the 2013 Australian Interior Design Awards, a role he has served since 2010.

John also authored Australia’s first report on e-waste product stewardship in 1995 titled: Short Circuiting Waste from Electronic Products.

Please join me in welcoming John to the Infoactiv team, and don’t hesitate to contact him for a conversation about the business of Product Stewardship and how Infoactiv can make it happen:

John Gertsakis – Chief Sustainability Officer
Infoactiv Group
M 0409 422 089
E john.gertsakis@infoactiv.com.au

For more information about John’s appointment and his role at Infoactiv contact me directly:

Helen Jarman – Managing Director
Infoactiv Group
T (03) 9403 3400
E Helen.jarman@infoactiv.com.au

Australians are enthusiastic recyclers. Numerous studies confirm that where recycling services and take-back systems are provided, the public use them with pride and commitment. Council managed kerbside recycling services for packaging, newsprint and green waste, show that ratepayers and the general public are eager to be part of the solution. Sending such materials to landfill when they can be recovered and recycled in a straightforward way, represents a waste of resources that can otherwise be reprocessed and utilised in the manufacture of new goods.

More specifically what does this passion for recycling indicate to retailers? Given the current frenzy of activity around e-waste recycling in Australia and the need to divert obsolete televisions and computer equipment away from landfills, smart retailers can expand the range of eco-friendly products and services they offer consumers.

Retailers – small, medium and large – are strongly placed to minimise their own environmental impact while also helping consumers dispose of their old electronic equipment in a responsible manner. A targeted ‘old-for-new’ recycling service that is effectively promoted by retailers can also attract new customers keen to buy a new appliance but also dispose of their existing one in a carefree way. It’s all about giving consumers a complete service and maximising convenience. A ‘greener’ retail service can only be a positive step for the environment.

Infoactiv Group has successfully implemented retail-based campaigns with a focus on post-consumer e-waste recycling at the time of new product purchases. This involved working closely with relevant sales and marketing staff to create an effective, customer-oriented campaign that didn’t detract from the buying process or key commercial objectives. Infoactiv understands the retail process and priorities and can seamlessly integrate a cost effective recycling campaign that appeals to customers and their environmental preferences.

Are you launching a new product or campaign? Can you see the sale and marketing benefit of an ‘old-for-new’ trade-in or recycling campaign? If yes, then Infoactiv Group can design and implement your program from end-to-end without any burden to in-store staff. Our knowledge of e-waste recycling and associated logistics is unmatched in Australia so that means you can benefit from our deep industry knowledge and experience.

Our e-waste solutions are environmentally sound, commercially sensible and socially appropriate. Let’s talk about how Infoactiv can support your retail related environmental programs.

For more information:

Helen Jarman – Managing Director
Toll free number: 1800 111 399
Email: ewaste@infoactiv.com.au

As interest and action on sustainable products, places, spaces and lifestyles grows at a grass roots level, so too does the level of ‘information pollution’. It can be a truly confusing and misleading process when it comes to purchasing ‘eco-sensitive’ detergents, recycled toilet paper or ethically made apparel. For the converted and those primed for ‘green buying’, such choices are straightforward, but for many in middle Australia, the level of eco-fatigue can trigger indifference, apathy and sometimes deep cynicism.

Government has a role in helping cut through the semiotic garbage with effective policy and regulation, but business is much better placed. It has the resources and drivers to increasingly use advertising and comms for ‘good not evil’.

The reality is that some companies do it very well, some struggle, and some simply embellish without shame. There are plenty of case studies and magazine articles which tell the story of pioneering ‘eco’ companies and how they’ve transformed their business model, the market or social behaviour, but how widespread is it across business and industry in Australia? The evidence is scattered and piecemeal but Australia can still boast some particularly innovative companies, programs, entrepreneurs and innovators when it comes to green products and services.

While much has been achieved at a ‘technical’ level with environmental improvement and associated research and data, the communications landscape is relatively barren in Australia. Some companies and agencies have put their heads above the trenches, but many remain gun-shy, insecure and sceptical about the value of going super-public with their environmental claims and declarations.

Nonetheless, there’s a shift taking place. Methods, tools and thinking, are maturing in the creative sector. Social media is being selectively exploited; crowd sourcing has a place; online advocacy campaigns are mainstream, and smarter advertising is also emerging. Some agencies and comms firms have developed a deeper understanding of environmental quality and sustainable lifestyles, and what underpins the finished product or service.

Indeed we’re now seeing the arrival of specialist ‘sustainability communications’ firms i.e. companies which straddle the divide between values, ethics, commercial aims and environmental outcomes. And these firms aren’t just re-branding themselves to exploit growing community sentiment or commercial opportunities. These are firms conceived ‘green and ethical’ from the outset, often as smaller boutique operations brimming with committed practitioners (not dogmatic zealots). It’s a nice balance which starts to bring confidence and credibility to the corporate space.

The age of the specialist sustainability communications firm is in some ways an interim stage, or stepping stone on the journey to embedding sustainability into all comms. Even these specialist firms declare that their preferred future scenario is to see campaigns which inherently address social and environmental objectives. Selling a niche service today is merely a bus stop on the way to redefining quality so that sustainability is addressed long term without even using the jargon.

As an injection to raise awareness and build capacity in Australia, Futerra Sustainability Communications (London, New York and Stockholm) partnered with the Republic of Everyone (Sydney), to deliver the highly regarded Re-Thinkers Masterclass in Sydney at the end of February 2012. The event was supported NAB. Two days of intense and informed presentations had the participants buzzing with positive ideas and concepts that steered well away from cliched icons and symbols. There wasn’t a dolphin, leaf or fury animal to be seen in any of story-boards and pitches.

A new way of approaching sustainability comms is being fostered by the real world experience of Futerra and the Republic of Everyone. Presenters such as Lucy Shea from Futerra, and Ben Peacock, Matt Perry and Scott Matyus-Flynn from the Republic of Everyone, showed what’s possible through local and overseas case studies. These pioneers of sustainability communications were generous with their ideas, and optimistic in their outlook while still retaining an acute commercial edge to their activities.

Simply a very refreshing and creative ‘sustainability’ masterclass unlike any other that has taken place in Australia in recent times.

There’s no shortage of information and resources on the Futerra and Republic of Everyone websites.

John Gertsakis
Chief Sustainability Officer
Infoactiv Group
Email: john.gertsakis@infoactiv.com.au

Sustainable IT asset management is an essential activity in minimising commercial and environmental risk. Effectively managing your obsolete computer equipment is now straightforward and environmentally beneficial. It is also cost effective and consistent with industry and Government policies on e-waste and Product Stewardship.

The ability to divert such products away from landfill is now considered to be standard industry practice, environmentally responsible and economically sensible. Furthermore, managed solutions for e-waste are able to deliver measurable waste reduction benefits that can enhance an organisation’s overall sustainability program.

Infoactiv Group has a comprehensive range of managed sustainability solutions specifically developed to remove the asset and facilities management burden confronting IT managers, procurement staff and others responsible for facilitymanagement and asset disposal. Our knowledge and expertise is unmatched when it comes to e-waste management, IT reuse and remarketing. Likewise, our commitment to customers is focused on the delivery of best-cost outcomes that are environmentally sounds.

What was once an ad hoc process of engaging e-waste scrap merchants, is now a robust and environmentally oriented service underpinned by certified systems to help protect customers and their stakeholders.

The challenge of managing end-of-life IT assets and other electronic equipment in the workplace is becoming a significant environmental management issue. Electronic waste or e-waste is now firmly on the agenda for local councils, State agencies, corporations, public bodies, retailer and environmental groups.

Most importantly the Federal Government has introduced new legislation, which covers the collection and recycling of end-of-life televisions and computer equipment. The Product Stewardship Act 2011, and associated television and computer waste Regulations are focused on resource recovery and improving e-waste recycling rates, as well as better managing potentially hazardous materials.

About Infoactiv Group

As Australia’s leading supply chain and e-waste management solution for industry, Infoactiv has the ability to manage and deliver all end to end operational aspects of the service, from collection and transport through to equipment disassembly, recycling and consumer education where required.

Infoactiv has extensive Australian and international experience in operating successful e-waste collection and recycling programs for IT equipment, consumer electronics and mobile phones. Our current experience in Australia is comprehensive and already diverts thousands of tonnes of e-waste from landfills.

Our Services – Delivering Business Oriented E-waste Management

What we do for customers and campaigns is informed by experience, technical knowledge and commercial responsibility. We bring value and sound environmental management and our value proposition is clear and compelling:

• We discharge your responsibilities in exchange for membership and recycling fees.
• We maximise cost avoidance – lean and non profit.
• We ensure independent real time procurement – best price every time (competition for logistics and recycling services).
• We apply risk mitigation systematically and work to standards and compliance schemes.
• We increase certainty for customers allowing them to focus on other core business activities.

Our solutions and services related to e-waste management are diverse and meet the requirements of various organisations including:

• Global brands, major corporates and retailers
• OEMS, manufacturers, SMEs and component suppliers
• Retailers of IT equipment, consumer electronics and domestic appliances
• Government departments and agencies
• Public and private institutions such as hospitals, universities and schools
• Non government organisations and not for profits

More specifically our managed sustainability solutions cover:

• IT asset management for obsolete or redundant equipment
• Reuse, refurbishment and remarketing strategies for end of first service life operational equipment
• Retail take-back and recycling campaigns for whitegoods and consumers electronics
• Short term, small scale, and low cost recycling campaigns for small e-waste items.

Products and equipment covered by our solutions and services and includes:

• Desktop based IT equipment, laptops and associated peripherals
• Main frame computers, servers and data centres
• Commercial business imaging equipment such as printers, copiers and plotters
• Mobile phones and other telecommunications devices and equipment
• Consumer electronics equipment – post consumer and end-of-life
• Consumer electronics equipment – warranty returns and ‘dead on arrival’ product

Don’t hesitate to make contact and discuss your specific e-waste or IT asset management requirements. No matter how small or large the task or project, Infoactiv is strongly placed to support your waste avoidance and resource recovery program in a best-cost, low-carbon manner.

Through our work with the Australia and New Zealand Recycling Platform, Infoactiv is also directly involved in helping to deliver the National Television and Computer Product Stewardship Scheme. Our role as operational and program delivery partner under the national Scheme highlights our ability to work on major industry-driven initiatives.

Our e-waste solutions are environmentally sound, commercially sensible and socially appropriate. Let’s talk about how Infoactiv can support your environmental programs.

For more information contact Helen Jarman:
Toll free number: 1800 111 399
Email: ewaste@infoactiv.com.au

Chris will play a critical role in helping shape Infoactiv’s involvement in the National Television and Computer Product Stewardship Scheme.

He brings a broad range of commercial experience underpinned by very practical knowledge of Product Stewardship programs and how to ensure their effective delivery on behalf of brands and liable parties. Chris is currently the Head of Finance for Telstra’s Mobile business, and was previously the Head of Telstra’s Wireless Device group. Prior to joining Telstra he worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers, on accounts including Telstra, HP, Ericsson, and Shell Company.

As the Chairman of MobileMuster, Chris has had accountability to the AMTA Board, and to MobileMuster program members for the delivery of financial, business and sustainability outcomes. MobileMuster is the official industry mobile phone recycling scheme administered by the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association.

Most importantly, during his six years as Chairman of MobileMuster, he has driven significant program rejuvenation including a performance driven program team focused on targets, outcomes and efficiency.

Chris’s knowledge of the Product Stewardship Act and the associated e-waste regulations will bring a new level of knowledge and expertise to Infoactiv. This will directly benefit customers yet also provide a strong interface with Government agencies and regulators. Furthermore, his knowledge of the stakeholder landscape means that he is open and receptive to external priorities and alliances involving collaboration.

Of particular importance will be Chris’s role in supporting the establishment of the industry-led product stewardship organisation (ANZRP), and its on-ground collection and recycling service for end-of-life TVs and computers.

For more information about Chris’s appointment and his role at Infoactiv contact Helen Jarman – Infoactiv Group’s Managing Director. Use our toll free number: 1800 111 399 or email your inquiry to: ewaste@infoactiv.com.au