APCO sets sustainability targets

The ANZPAC Roadmap is the culmination of extensive discussions between more than 100 organizations across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands over the past year to outline the necessary outcomes and activities required to achieve the ANZPAC Targets.

The document provides a pathway to substantially change the relationship with plastic packaging by recognizing the unique position of the organizations involved and identifying the common barriers to achieving a circular economy in the region, including access to data, geographical challenges, market size, technology, and cultural challenges. 

The Roadmap identifies organizations from across the supply chain with leading, supporting or consulting roles for each of the core activities aligned to each of the targets.

The ANZPAC Regional Plastics Targets aims to eliminate unnecessary and problematic plastic packaging through redesign, innovation, and alternative (reuse) delivery models; achieve 100 percent of plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025, increase plastic packaging collected and effectively recycled by 25 percent for each geography and average of 25 percent recycled content in plastic packaging across the region.

‘This incredible collaboration across countries highlights the critical importance of coming together as a region to learn from each other, align and accelerate the work to overhaul our relationship with plastic packaging and develop long-term sustainable solutions,’ said Brooke Donnelly, CEO of APCO. ‘If our work is to be successful, it’s vital that businesses across the packaging value chain throughout Oceania familiarize themselves with the actions outlined in this Roadmap and incorporate these into their business planning.’

Margaret Stuart, Oceania director of corporate affairs and sustainability at Nestlé, added: ‘We’re working hard to reduce our use of virgin plastics and make our packaging recyclable or reusable, but we know we need to do more, and we know we can’t do it alone. The ANZPAC Roadmap gives us a framework within which we can collaborate in the region to ensure that packaging can be collected and recovered for a better future.’

‘The circular economy demands that we pivot the entire supply chain. Manufacturers need to make products that can be easily recycled and that use recycled raw materials, local authorities need to implement better and more consistent collection systems, recycling businesses like ourselves need to build greater capacity for reprocessing, and consumers should vote with their purchase power and then put the right thing in the right bin. Now is the time to execute the ANZPAC Plastic Pact Roadmap so that we can meet the targets we’ve set. The changes we make will work, but only if we work together and all play our part,’ concluded Richard Kirkman, CEO of Veolia Australia and New Zealand.

The complete roadmap is available to download and can be accessed on the APCO website.