In news that has rocked the Australian packaging industry, Brooke Donnelly, CEO of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), is stepping down from the position at the end of July.
Donnelly said that after five years in the role, it was time for a new challenge. In the remaining three months of her tenure, Donnelly will assist with the transition to a new CEO. Her successor has not been announced; APCO is in the process of recruiting for the role.
Speaking to PKN shortly after the news broke, Donnelly said this was a considered and strategic decision based on what she feels is right for APCO and for her personal growth. She said has had a "fabulous time" working in the role since 2017, and feels "privileged and humbled" to have been in a position to rebuild APCO into an institution well positioned to deliver a circular economy for packaging, and to have been instrumental in projects and programmes that have made a real and tangible impact.
"There is a lot more work to be done, but we have turned the ship, we have shifted the paradigm on how Australians view sustainable packaging. I am confident Australia is firmly on the pathway to achieving the National Packaging Targets and beyond that to achieving a circular economy for packaging.
"We've got this, no matter who sits in the CEO seat, industry and government can deliver on our sustainable packaging targets."
Donnelly has been at APCO's helm at a time when packaging sustainability has come under intense scrutiny, and has made her mark in steering the organisation towards achieving some bold objectives, and importantly, regaining government trust to influence policy on a national scale.
Over the five-year period, APCO's membership has grown from 700 to 2200, and its geographical scope has expanded to include regional and global participants.
Under Donnelly’s leadership, APCO has guided the nation in setting the National Packaging Targets as the way forward to achieve circularity in packaging and developed consistent reporting across the packaging value chain.
(Hear Donnelly speak about Collective Impact and the National Packaging Targets on the PKN Podcast Ep 48.)
Strong partnerships have been forged with Planet Ark, PREP and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and APCO has developed and launched a regional approach to tackle plastic packaging waste in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands through the ANZPAC Plastics Pact.
Game changing programs have been initiated, which have informed government and APCO members of the challenges ahead, and APCO has collaborated with organisations across the supply chain to develop innovative solutions to Australia’s most pressing sustainable packaging challenges.
One of the stand-out achievements has been the engagement of over 750 companies to participate in the Australian Recycling Label, and work together to design packaging that is recyclable, reusable or compostable.
The APCO team thanked Donnelly in a statement issued today, wishing her all the best for the future.
