The NSW government is moving forward with a plan to “tackle the use of plastics”. The plan includes a ban on lightweight plastic bags, making NSW the last state in Australia to ban such plastics.

Applications are open for Sustainability Victoria’s competitive grants programme to encourage organisations in the state to reduce packing waste disposed in landfill. Grants of up to $50,000 are available

Seabin, a system for capturing maritime waste – including plastics – has smashed its fundraising goal of $1m in four days. The goal is now to hit the $3m target before 19 March for full scaling of the company, operations and the technology.

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 at the federal government’s National Plastics Summit in Canberra.

At the summit today, Unilever said it is the first major consumer goods company in Australia and New Zealand to source high volumes of locally sourced, post-consumer recycled HDPE plastic for its locally made personal care bottles.

The Boomerang Alliance and the World Wide Fund for Nature Australia called on the federal government to mandate that all plastic packaging will be reusable, compostable, or recyclable by 2025 at today’s Plastics Summit in Canberra.

Pact Group will invest more than $500m in existing and new facilities, over the coming five years, in collaboration with government and partners, the company announced at the National Plastics Summit in Canberra.

Nestlé and iQ Renew will collect soft plastics from more than 100,000 homes through kerbside recycling in a trial. Announced at the National Plastics Summit, the trial aims to find a way to collect, sort, and process soft plastics.

Sustainability was the topic du jour at the recent Aerosol & Dispensing Forum in Paris, and Aerobal said tailor-made, closed-loop collection, sorting, and recycling systems are required.

CHEP Australia opened what it calls a “plant of the future” upgrade in Melbourne this week.

Victoria is to implement a container deposit scheme, and Coca-Cola Amatil said it supports "well-run, cost-effective container deposit schemes".

Pact Group, Cleanaway, and Asahi Beverages signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop a plastic pelletising facility in Albury/Wodonga.

Detpak’s collection bag service for its RecycleMe cups has received an endorsement from environmental charity Planet Ark. The service aims to enable smaller cafés, schools, and offices to recycle Detpak’s recyclable, disposable coffee cups.

The Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR) welcomed the decision by the Victorian government to introduce a 10-cent refund on drink containers. ACOR said the planned refund scheme would help the state’s recycling sector, as well as its environment.

Tetra Pak was named on CDP’s A List in recognition of the company’s action on climate, and its drive for sustainable sourcing in its supply chain.

Fromm Packaging Australia, a member of APPMA, will manufacture and sell plastic strap made almost entirely from recycled PET bottles. The company said it is the first in Australia to manufacture recycled plastic strap.