The Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence Awards are designed to raise the profile of stewardship in business, Government and NGOs. Entrants will be judged on criteria specific to the category, ranging from circular design features and performance to consumer awareness and engagement.

The jury judging the awards brings extensive knowledge and expertise in product stewardship, circular economy, and business sustainability. Judges will represent business, industry associations, all levels of government, NGOs, and research institutions.

There are six award categories that schemes, businesses, associations, and NGOs can enter. The Product Stewardship Champion of the Year award will be decided by the Centre of Excellence.

Categories open for entry include:

1. Best Stewardship Outcomes – Collective Scheme

2. Best Stewardship Outcomes – Individual Business or Brand (large companies with 200+ employees)

3. Best Stewardship Outcomes – Individual Business or Brand (SMEs 199 employees or less)

4. Excellence in Design for Product Stewardship

5. Excellence in Digitalisation for Product Stewardship

6. Excellence in Emissions Reduction through Product Stewardship

Product stewardship schemes work to minimise the health and environmental impacts of a product over its entire lifecycle from design, production, distribution, sale, and use to disposal, recovery, reuse, and recycling.

Also known as extended producer responsibility, stewardship schemes help share the cost of managing the end of life of a product among industry, government, and consumers. Product stewardship places greater responsibility on the party that can have the largest positive impact, usually the manufacturer or importer.

Submissions close 31 August 2022. The awards will be announced via an event in Sydney on 27 October 2022.

For more information or to submit an entry, visit the Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence.