The Arnott’s Group has set its sustainability agenda with the release of its first formal Sustainability Statement in the lead up to World Environment Day.
The statement outlines the Group’s sustainability roadmap, putting the issue at the centre of its business strategy and purpose. It aims to shrink the environmental impact of operations and support the communities in which the Group operates.
The statement outlines four commitments under the key pillars of Source, Make and Connect, which are:
- Circular Packaging: reduce, reuse or repurpose 10 per cent of the plastic packaging used by 2025, and meet the 2025 recyclability targets set by the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO).
- Net-Zero Climate Impact: Achieve net-zero emissions in our operations by 2040, and across the value chain by 2050.
- Sustainable Ingredients: Sustainably grow and source 100 per cent of its key ingredients, namely flour, sugar, oils, dairy and cocoa products sustainably by 2035.
- Thriving Communities: Increase choice, opportunity and well-being by promoting inclusion and belonging, supporting communities and providing more diverse food options and guidance on nutrition.
In terms of packaging, the Arnott’s Group has established a new sustainable packaging strategy containing initiatives and targets across the entire packaging value chain – from design, production and use of packaging, through disposal and recovery – to promote the use of recycled material and the circular economy.
Currently, over 98 per cent of the Arnott’s Group ANZ packaging is already technically recyclable (75 per cent on a consumer unit basis), which includes all plastics, cardboard and can formats.
Within its soft plastics portfolio, on a weight basis, about 73 per cent of the packaging is already recyclable.
“We have embedded the APCO targets in our internal stage gate process for product development through a new assessment tool to drive decision-making on packaging formats,” the company says in its Statement.
“Australia has its constraints on recycling infrastructure, so we know that just because packaging is recyclable, it doesn’t automatically mean it is recycled. So, our approach needs to be broader than increasing the recyclability of our packaging.
“That’s why partnerships will be key to achieving real change, and we have a range of existing partnerships, as well as some that we are exploring.”
The Arnott’s Group currently partners with the ANZPAC Plastics Pact initiative, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the REDcycle program, and other Product Stewardship programs.
The focus on sustainability is part of the Group’s business transformation, led by chief transformation officer, Simon Lowden.
“It’s timely that we set this direction for the business in the lead up to the UN’s day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment,” Lowden says.
“The global food system is responsible for creating a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions. A more sustainable food system is vital for achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
“At the Arnott’s Group, we recognise that to build a more sustainable food system in Australia we must make change ourselves and inspire our consumers and our partners to do the same.
“Our sustainability plan focuses on areas where we can have the most immediate and meaningful impact across our supply chain, through the sourcing of our ingredients, the manufacturing of our products and the connection we have with our people, our customers and our communities.”
The full statement is available here.
