ANZPAC Plastic Pact setting plastic waste reduction targets for huge retailers including Coles and Woolworths by 2025
Louise Hardman was recently interviewed by ABC News Australia regarding the new ‘ANZPAC’ Plastic Pact. More than 60 Australian and New Zealand organisations have signed up to a long anticipated ANZPAC Plastics Pact, pledging that 100% of plastic packaging will be recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025.
ANZPAC was established as a collaboration between ‘Leading businesses, NGOs and governments from across the plastic supply chain and the region unite behind 2025 Targets to eliminate plastic packaging waste’ APCO (Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation). The collaboration is the second Regional Plastic Pact, after the EU Plastic Pact which now has over 147 signatories from 21 countries. The newly launched ANZPAC which covers Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands – Oceania, aims to add more signatories and global commitments to create a New Plastic Economy.
During the interview, Louise provided insight into the Plastic Pact and how it’s going to influence businesses. Louise stated “I think in the next five years we will see big changes, but it has to come from all sectors, both government and business. What we are finding is that businesses are leading the change … they want to do the right thing”.
Signatories include big brands and supermarket retailers such as; Coles and Woolworths, Coca-Cola and Nestle. The pact was designed to develop collaborative solutions; bringing together key players behind a shared vision of a circular economy for plastic, in which it never becomes pollution.
1. Eliminate unnecessary and problematic plastic packaging through redesign, innovation and alternative (reuse) delivery models.
2. 100% of plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025.
3. Increase plastic packaging collected and effectively recycled by at least 25% for each geography within the ANZPAC region.
4. Average of 25% recycled content in plastic packaging across the region.
As Boomerang Alliance points out, the difficulty with the APCO approach is that no universal standards for packaging have been established. There are currently no agreed standards for reusable or compostable packaging. The Boomerang Alliance has presented a ‘plan B’ to the Plastic Pact believing the 2025 targets are crucial to stopping the waste of resources and environmental damage from plastic packaging.
1. all manufacturers/suppliers of packaging into the Australian market must (i) be members of APCO and(ii) endorse the Plastic Pact goals and commit to changing their practices by announced launch of 18 May 2021. This won’t be achieved.
2. all manufacturers/suppliers of packaging must report on how they credibly plan to meet and comply with Pact goals by July 2021. This won’t be achieved.
3. all new labelling (expanding the ARL to include reusable/compostable) plus rules around these to be confirmed and in the market by end 2021. This won’t be achieved.
4. all manufacturers /suppliers must be ready to comply with packaging design standards for products entering the Australian market (certifications/agreed standards for reusable/compostable/recyclable) by end 2021. This won’t be achieved.”
You can find the full article, including Louise’s interview here.
