Page 12 - Packaging News Mar-Apr 2020

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INDUSTRY Q&A | www.packagingnews.com.au | March-April 2020
Amcor’s views on shifting packaging landscape
The packaging design landscape is shifting profoundly towards sustainability in Australia and abroad, and ASX-listed Amcor says it is working to optimise its packaging to align with this trend. We asked Michael Zacka, Amcor’s chief commercial officer, about the company’s progress towards sustainability, and where the packaging industry is headed in the near future.
AMCOR HAS PLEDGED TO END PACKAGING WASTE, BOTH IN AUSTRALIA AND ON A GLOBAL SCALE. WHAT ARE THE KEY TENETS OF THE
PLEDGE?
In January 2018, we
became the first global
packaging company to
commit to the 2025
pledge. We’re making
good progress to design
all our packaging to be recyclable or reusable by 2025, to increase our use of recycled materials, and to help drive greater recycling of packaging around the world.
Most of our packaging is already designed to be recyclable or reus- able. In fact, 97 per cent of our PET and HDPE packaging already is recyclable or reusable. We made the pledge – to develop all our packag- ing to be recyclable or reusable by 2025 – because we are inspired by ambitious goals, committed to building a great business, and already making a difference through packaging innovation.
But what will make the greatest difference is collaboration across the entire value chain to create a more circular system, develop better infra- structure solutions, and increase consumer participation in recycling.
YOU AND AMCOR VICE-PRESIDENT OF SUSTAINABILITY DAVE CLARK RECENTLY VISITED THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM. WHAT DID YOU LEARN IN DAVOS?
During the World Economic Forum, two things became clear.
First, we are aligned with our cus- tomers and suppliers on solutions that require industry-wide collaboration.
Second, we are determined to play a leadership role in bringing solu- tions to the market. Amcor is well positioned with our innovation focus to lead the way with packaging that is even more responsible. The World Economic Forum was an opportu- nity to share that determination with like-minded enterprises. Together we can tackle issues ranging from the need to feed growing populations to the challenge of global waste.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES FACED BY FMCG COMPANIES AND RETAILERS WHEN IT COMES TO DELIVERING ON SUSTAINABILITY AND WASTE-MANAGEMENT TARGETS?
There are often contradictory objec- tives inherent within sustainability and waste-management targets. If we remove plastic packaging, we can create unintended consequences including more food waste and increased carbon emissions from substitute packaging materials. Therefore, decisions need to take the total environmental impact into consideration.
Plastics, in the majority of cases, are the most environmentally sound
OPPOSITE: Sustainability is designed into Amcor’s products.
ABOVE: Amcor’s AmLite Ultra Recyclable packaging is made using the company’s high-barrier polyolefin film.
packaging materials. The packaging itself it not the issue in isolation. Mitigating littering plays an equal role in eliminating leakage into the ocean, for example.
Driving up the use of post-con- sumer recycled content in package design is becoming a priority for large brand owners, and we’re part- nering with them to do that. As a very recent example, we co-created a 100 per cent PCR bottle with Unilever for Hellmann’s mayonnaise in the US. That is one among many dozens of projects Amcor has under- way to increase PCR, further light- weight our products, and incorpo- rate more bio-based resins.
WHAT IS AMCOR’S INVOLVEMENT IN INNOVATION AND INVESTMENT IN WASTE MANAGEMENT?
We need the right systems and tech- nologies to collect and manage the materials we generate as a society.
Amcor is collaborating with industry partners, governments, and NGOs to improve collection, recy- cling, and recovery of plastic pack- aging and develop new approaches to advance a circular economy. Rather than being waste,