The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) will lead the development of the ANZPAC Plastic Pact, which will formally launch late this year. The announcement was made today (2 March) at the federal government’s National Plastics Summit in Canberra.
ANZPAC Plastics Pact is the latest addition to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's global Plastics Pact network. It will work with businesses, governments, and nongovernmental organisations from across the plastics value chain in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Island nations to develop a common vision of the circular economy for plastics.
APCO said ANZPAC Plastics Pact would provide the intervention required to meet Australia’s national plastic packaging target of 70 per cent of all plastic packaging to be recycled or composted by 2025.
Aligned with the other initiatives of the Plastics Pact network, the ANZPAC Plastics Pact will work towards a set of ambitious, time-bound targets in the following areas:
- Eliminate unnecessary and problematic single-use plastic packaging through redesign and innovation
- Ensure all plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable, or compostable
- Increase the reuse, collection, and recycling of plastic packaging
- Increase recycled content in plastic packaging.
The exact targets will be released towards the end of 2020, and progress will be reported annually.
At the Plastics Summit, APCO was joined by representatives from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the UK’s Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), and the Australian Food and Grocery Council, to officially invite industry and government to participate in the program.
In 2020, APCO said it would develop the programme in close consultation with local industry representatives in all regions. Initiatives will include a series of plastics-focused projects, and the creation of the Circular Plastics Research Initiative, a new innovation hub that will bring together researchers, investors and industry to share knowledge and align efforts.
Trevor Evans, the assistant minister for waste reduction and environmental management, welcomed APCO’s commitment to reviewing existing plastic packaging targets, in light of the national waste targets agreed by the nation’s environment ministers: “The government welcomes industry led approaches which are fundamental to bringing about better recycling outcomes, and looks forward to actions that will significantly increase recycled plastic content beyond current levels,” he said.
Brooke Donnelly, CEO of APCO, said: “It was fantastic to meet today with key stakeholders from government and industry at the Plastics Summit to explore what tangible solutions are needed to address the plastics crisis. We commend the government for leading this approach and providing the ideal platform for us to unveil the new, industry-led ANZPAC initiative.
“Plastic is a global supply chain problem and that means to manage it effectively, Australia needs an international approach. The Ellen Macarthur Foundation’s Plastic Pact network is a proven, effective model being rolled out across the world, and I’m very pleased that APCO Members and key stakeholders will be leading the delivery of this programme for our region.
“We are wasting no time and will be kicking off the industry action at a workshop in Sydney tomorrow to start developing targets and priority projects.”
Geoffrey Annison, Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) acting CEO said: “The AFGC is collaborating to develop whole-of supply chain solutions so our sector can meet the National Packaging Targets to benefit the community and the environment.
“We are proud to be supporting the development of the new ANZPAC program, alongside the ongoing work of APCO and the vital role the organisation is playing in developing a circular economy for packaging and increasing recycling rates across our region.”
Ryan Swenson, head of sustainable development at Officeworks, said: “Addressing the challenges relating to plastic packaging requires collaboration across all sectors, and the approach outlined by APCO provides the mechanism to facilitate the systems level change that is needed. We look forward to seeing what can be achieved as this progresses.”
Sander Defruyt, new plastics economy lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, welcomed the announcement of the ANZPAC Plastics Pact. "We look forward to working together with the governments and industry of Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands to drive real change towards a circular economy for plastic, by eliminating problematic and unnecessary plastic items, innovating to ensure that the plastics they do need are reusable, recyclable, or compostable, and circulating the plastic items they use to keep them in the economy and out of the environment. Together we can create a world without plastic waste or pollution.”
David Rogers, head of international resource management, WRAP UK said: “WRAP is delighted to see APCO announce plans for an ANZPAC. The UK Plastics Pact has transformed the plastics landscape in the UK. WRAP, which developed the UK Plastics Pact in collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, have been involved in supporting a number of plastics pacts around the world as part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's global Plastics Pact network. This has the power to completely transform how we produce, use and dispose of plastics.”
Industry from across the value chain has already shown strong engagement with the program, with companies including Woolworths, Australia Post, Unilever, Mars, Nestlé Oceania, Pact, CHEP, Amcor, Kmart Australia, Officeworks, Detmold Group, Veolia, SUEZ, Fonterra and Mondelēz International confirming their support for a common approach such as the ANZPAC program.
For more information about the ANZPAC Plastics Pact, visit www.packagingcovenant.org.au.
