Day 2 of the Plastics and Circular Economy 2024 Australian Update webinar took place on 22 October 2024, with discussions centred on the role of information and collaboration in advancing Australia’s transition to a circular economy for plastics.
Chris De Armitt, president of Phantom Plastics and an expert in plastic materials, opened the webinar with a presentation titled 'Destroying Disinformation with Facts and Logic'. De Armitt addressed widespread misconceptions about plastic waste, arguing that plastic is often the most sustainable packaging option due to its ability to reduce waste and energy consumption. He presented data showing that plastic accounts for less than one per cent of materials by weight contributing to pollution and noted that alternatives such as fishing nets and gear can cause more environmental harm.
"Replacing plastic with other materials like paper or cotton often increases waste, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions," he stated. De Armitt highlighted that the core environmental challenges are overconsumption and ineffective waste management, particularly in developing nations.
Richard Smith, director of sustainability at Amcor, discussed the company’s strategy in his presentation, 'Purpose-Led Innovation: Creating a Circular Economy for Flexible Packaging'. He outlined Amcor’s 2025 commitment to design all packaging to be recyclable or compostable, with a target of 30 per cent circular content by 2030. Smith emphasised the business risks posed by plastic pollution, stating, "Mismanaged plastic is a risk to our business and our customers' businesses". He argued that incorporating high-value recycled materials into packaging is essential, saying, "If we put a value on it by using recycled materials... then we can actually create value".
Andrew Smith, executive adviser for Circular Economy at Pact Group, focused on regulatory reform in his session, 'Packaging Reform – Our Opportunity to Get It Right'. He stressed the need for industry to prepare for impending regulations, noting, "We know regulatory reform is coming, and this is our opportunity to get it right". Smith highlighted current challenges, explaining that "only 20 per cent of packaging placed on the market is recovered, and probably more disappointingly, only six per cent of recovered plastic is going back into packaging".
Edward Kosior, managing director of Nextek, explored solutions in his presentation, 'Innovations, Challenges, and the Circular Economy Confronting the Recycling of Post-Consumer Plastics'. He discussed the use of AI-driven sorting systems and the Next Loop project, which combines AI and fluorescent markers to sort food-grade polypropylene at a rate of five tonnes per hour. Kosior also introduced new decontamination technologies, such as supercritical CO2, for high-value recycling applications. He emphasised the importance of design for recycling, advocating for simplified packaging systems and reduced pigments to improve recyclability.
Cindy Bray, executive general manager of the Plastics Industry Pipe Association of Australia (PIPA), highlighted the long lifespan of plastic pipes—exceeding 100 years—in her session, 'How Plastics Pipes Play Their Role in the Circular Economy'. Bray discussed their role in water, gas, and irrigation systems and outlined the four stages of the circular economy: design, use, reuse/repair, and recover/recycle. She noted that PIPA, in collaboration with the Construction Plastics Recycling Scheme, has collected 12 tonnes of PVC off-cuts, promoting greater awareness through educational initiatives.
Bray stressed the importance of designing pipes for longevity and recyclability, with manufacturing processes that reuse materials to minimise waste. She underscored the need to select the appropriate product for each application to reduce maintenance and ensure efficiency.
