• PAC.NZ president Harry Burkhardt and APCO CEO Trish Hyde sign
a Memorandum of Understanding at the Packaging & Processing Innovation and Design Awards.
    PAC.NZ president Harry Burkhardt and APCO CEO Trish Hyde sign a Memorandum of Understanding at the Packaging & Processing Innovation and Design Awards.
Close×

The APCO and PAC.NZ will work together to drive packaging sustainability following an agreement made during Auspack.

The new Trans-Tasman agreement will see the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) and Packaging Council of New Zealand (PAC.NZ) share knowledge and solve problems for consumer packaging and the packaging supply chain.

They signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the Packaging & Processing Innovation and Design Awards held in Sydney on 8 March.

APCO and PAC.NZ will also address regional sustainability policy issues and collaborate on member resources, according to APCO Trish Hyde, who sees this as a significant step forward.

“Both our organisations are working towards common goals and objectives, and this agreement allows us to take a Trans-Tasman approach and strengthen partnerships, embrace innovation, and better support our members,” she said.

PAC.NZ president Harry Burkhardt agreed.

“Many APC and PAC.NZ members operate across both New Zealand and Australia, so it's vital we share knowledge and work together,” he said.

“We look forward to working towards a seamless integration between initiatives, which are adopted by members of the Australian Packaging Covenant and applied in the New Zealand context.

"This will include sharing reporting tools that will enable our members to undertake peer-to-peer assessment with their Australian counterparts.”

Food & Drink Business

Across Australia and internationally, food and beverage businesses are facing growing pressure to provide greater transparency about where products come from, how they are produced, and whether claims relating to quality, sustainability, and authenticity can be verified. Griffith University Asia Institute associate professor of agribusiness and international trade, Robin E. Roberts, offers advice for companies to transform this pressure into a competitive advantage.

Mars has officially opened its new $112.6 million pet food manufacturing facility in Wodonga, Victoria, establishing what the company describes as Australia's largest dedicated wet cat food pouch production site. The expansion was initially announced in June 2023.

The Brewers Association of Australia (BAA) has appointed Mick Gibb as its new chief executive officer, effective 28 September 2026, following Amanda Watson stepping down from the position in February.