BREAKING: APCO has recognised the top performing members by industry sector at its annual awards celebration held virtually today, with brand owners, packaging suppliers and retailers sharing the limelight.
APCO's Industry Sector Awards are achieved based on each member's core scores in the most recent round of APCO’s Annual Reporting Process and their performance against the Packaging Sustainability Framework criteria. In the citations for the winners, APCO highlights their significant progress in the 2020-21 reporting period, as all of industry continues to work towrads the 2025 National Packaging Targets.
The 2021 winners across the twelve Industry Sector categories are:
Agriculture & Nurseries – Evergreen Garden Care Australia
Evergreen continues to identify opportunities for improved packaging outcomes and new technologies that push the boundaries of packaging material optimisation. During the most recent reporting round, Evergreen investigated several opportunities to incorporate recycled material into its plastic packaging with this new approach set to roll out over the coming months.
Airline, Accommodation & Tourism – Virgin Australia
As part of its 2020 product rollout, Virgin Australia has committed to eliminate packaging where feasible, while working towards making all packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable in line with the 2025 Targets as well as increase the use of product packaging from 100% recycled content and/or 100% renewable materials, with impressive strides already made.
Chemicals, Hardware & Machinery – General Motors Australia
To fully encompass the journey to closed-loop distribution packaging, General Motors has identified key areas of concern through industry collaboration, including working with over 150 organisations to help monitor and collect data with the returnable metal cage scheme.
Electronics – Kyocera Document Solutions
Kyocera has continued to advance throughout its packaging sustainability journey, through its new ECOSYS concept which minimises environmental impact, and reduces costs associated with the extension of printer life and the reduction of associated waste. Kyocera has also continued to focus on its collection service, where bins and disposal units are provided to customers and picked up at no cost.
Food and Beverage – Kellogg Australia
The team at Kellogg have worked hard to optimise 99% of packaging for material efficiency by converting to a renewable packaging format, with a series of trials showing a 50% material savings across product packaging. Meanwhile, with an ongoing commitment to the application of the Australasian Recycling Label, more than 75% of the company’s total packaging is now labelled as recyclable through the Australian kerbside or REDcycle system.
General Merchandise & Apparel – 3M Australia
3M Australia has stood out through the leadership and accountability of its purchasing policy. Where possible, 3M works collectively with other APCO Members to improve packaging sustainability.
Healthcare & Scientific – Amgen Australia
Amgen’s industry leading Green Packaging Metrics Tool ensures that the Sustainable Packaging Guidelines are strongly embedded in business processes. 100% of all new packaging is assessed according to the tool, while the company commenced work to replace PVC in packaging trays for several products during this reporting round.
Large Retailer – Coles
This reporting period, Coles continued its leadership role across closed-loop recovery programs by providing collection points for REDcycle and the container deposit scheme, while also introducing the Simply Cups recycling program at its Store Support Centres. This year Coles reached a milestone of diverting more than one billion pieces of flexible plastics from landfill since the beginning of the partnership in 2012.
Logistics and Warehousing – CHEP Australia
Continuous efforts to increase environmental benefits throughout its customer’s supply chains saw CHEP introducing additional targets on sustainable packaging for improved circular measurement tools and positive collaborations. Through the company’s monthly reviews of its reusable packaging innovation processes, the team confirmed 100% of its packaging to be optimised for material efficiency, while using only recycled or certified renewable materials that are recoverable at end-of-life.
Packaging Manufacturers and Suppliers – LyondellBasell
Last year’s Sustainable Packaging Excellence Award winner, LyondellBasell this year established reuse and collaborative closed-loop practices that are beyond best practice. It includes delivering the ‘KitKat closed-loop project’ in partnership with Nestle, iQ Renew and REDcycle, to create the first post-consumer KitKat wrapper.
Telecommunications – Optus
Committed to driving a circular economy for packaging, Optus introduced a single-use plastic phase out plan that prioritises opportunities to increase both recyclability and recycled content during this reporting period.
Tobacco – British American Tobacco
This reporting round, British American Tobacco has committed to ambitious targets closely aligned to the 2025 Targets, which focus on eliminating unnecessary single-use packaging, making 100% of packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable and incorporating an average of 30% recycled content in packaging.
Keep your eye on the PKN website for the announcement later today, following APCO's Annual Awards ceremony, of the winners in the following categories:
Outstanding Achievement Awards
- Outstanding Achievement in Industry Leadership
- Outstanding Achievement in Sustainable Packaging Outcomes
- Outstanding Achievement in Sustainable Packaging Operations
- High Performing New Member Award
Our Packaging Future Awards
- Our Packaging Future Award for end-market leadership
- Our Packaging Future Award for Improved Collection and Recycling Systems
- Our Packaging Future Award for Packaging Sustainability Education – Consumer Education
- Our Packaging Future Award for Packaging Sustainability Education – Industry Education
APCO Sustainability Champion Award
Sustainable Packaging Excellence Award
