Page 41 - Food and Drink Business Magazine May 2019

✷ INSIGHTS, INFORMATION AND CELEBRATION
EXPLORING THE BIG ISSUES
A GLITZY GALA DINNER
A major highlight of AUSPACK 2019 was the inaugural Business & Industry conference, which featured presentations from more than 40 international speakers.
The session ‘What’s Good for the Planet is Good for Business’, was hosted by Craig Reucassel from the ABC’s War on Waste.
Panellists Steve Lapidge, CEO of Fight Food Waste; Brooke Donnelly, CEO of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation; Caitlyn Richards, Responsible Sourcing Manager at Coles; and Paul Klymenko, CEO at Planet Ark considered topics such as closed loop recycling, the recycling supply chain, bioplastics and compostability, recycling of polypropylene, the circular economy, government investment, disruptive practices, and the progress of the Australian Recycling Label.
According to the panel: the shift to sustainable packaging is no longer a matter of if, but when and how; unnecessary packaging should be eliminated before companies focus on what can be recycled or composted; and waste management in Australia needs more investment to ensure a transition to a circular economy.
The 2019 APPMA Awards of Excellence were announced at a gala dinner in Melbourne.
Foodmach and HMPS were the night’s big winners, picking up three and two awards respectively. ProSeal picked up one for Customer Collaboration.
The 2019 APPMA Scholarship went to Nestlé’s Janell Siek, who thanked the industry and everyone who encouraged her along the way.
The evening focused on sustainability, with décor and even food sourced from eco-friendly suppliers, according to Dingley.
“Our event tonight was a showcase of sustainability. The innovations and dedication highlighted at this gala award ceremony show that the entire Australian packaging and processing industry has a viable, sustainable long-term future,” Dingley said.
www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au | May 2019 | Food&Drink business | 41
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