Day two of the Australasian Waste and Recycling Expo saw the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) present two lectures; the first on balancing reducing unnecessary packaging material with countering food waste, and the second provided an update on the Australian Recycling Label (ARL).
One of the major conversations happening in the packaging world right now, is that of how to balance the importance of reducing single-use plastics, and other such materials in packaging, with the role packaging plays in maintaining the shelf-life of produce, so reducing food waste.
The first session of the day focused on this issue, and saw speakers from three brands present their company’s innovations. Session host, AIP’s Ralph Moyle, kicked things off by reminding the audience that every bottle in their hand, every jar in their cupboard, and all kinds of other packaging, all require some form of closure, and that is what makes innovations in this field so important.
The first speaker was Brendan Holmes, managing director at Caps & Closures, and he introduced his company’s WorldStar and PIDA award-winning innovations. The first, ThermoShield, a cap which can be used on any product that requires cold storage, and is made using thermochromic materials, which change colour when there are fluctuations in temperature. BioShield, another cap, has an antimicrobial defence mechanism, which Holmes said eliminates bacteria that may be transferred into the package from the cap. IDShield, another technology he introduced, contains, “a nano-engraved hologram, which can be put on any closure”, he said.
Next up, Michael Dossor, managing director at Result Group, introduced his brand’s EcoMark, a natural branding technology that uses a laser to brand the surface of fresh produce. This innovation, he said, removes the need for any label, and thus any material, which, he said, would be great news for any composters. The EcoMark would allow information about a product to be embedded into the produce, for example via a QR code. Dossor claimed this would mean supermarkets are able to manage stock better, reducing waste.
Then, Alan Adams, sustainability director at SEE, formerly known as Sealed Air, introduced Cryovac, a series of shrink wraps for chilled meats, which he said are “the backbone of moving fresh proteins around the world”. Adams said that adequately packaging food to preserve it eliminates waste, and “far outweighs the impact of our own packaging material on the environment".
The second session saw a panel of representatives from the AIP, National Retail Association (NRA) and the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) come together to provide an update on the ARL.
The ARL, as the panel explained, is a collaboration between the three organisations and the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC), with the aim of simplifying the recycling process, through a standardised label system.
AIP executive director, Nerida Kelton, told the audience, “For the last 12 months, we have been working on resources, tools and information that is designed to communicate effectively to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).”
Bonnie Marshall, policy officer at the NRA, talked about how her association is helping to communicate the importance of recycling to the SMEs who are not bound by the 2025 sustainability targets. Marshall said that SMEs are showing "huge interest" in the ARL and actively seeking out information on it.
Sarah Sannen, head of operations APCO, added that her organisation is working “really closely with suppliers of packaging” on how they can make the ARL more accessible to SMEs.
Sannen summed it up by saying, “I think the ultimate goal is to be able to provide something that SMEs know they can take, and apply themselves, with confidence.”
