Page 9 - Packaging News Nov-Dec 2019

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PROCESSING & PACKAGING
For further information and assistance with travel and accommodation planning Robert Laing _ Messe Reps. Pty. Ltd Tel. +61 427 353536 robert@messereps.com _ www.messereps.com
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Grim look at Ocean of the Future
A POP-UP virtual reality experi- ence in Sydney gave visitors a first-hand look at the problem of plastic waste in our oceans.
The Ocean of the Future ex- perience at Circular Quay’s Overseas Passenger Terminal, sponsored by SodaStream, featured an interactive VR reef in which visitors were handed a virtual net and told to catch plastic debris as it sinks towards the ocean floor.
PKN experienced a demon- stration of the confronting display on site. At first, the items floated down one or two at a time, but soon they were falling too quickly to
keep up – and too far away to reach. At the end, standing knee-deep in plastic, guests were asked to pledge to re- duce the amount of single-use plastics they use.
According to Laura Wilson, marketing director of Soda- Stream, the experience was designed to confront Austra- lians with the magnitude of the plastic waste problem.
“We created our Ocean of the Future VR experience so that more Australians can not only see, but through the mag- ic of VR, experience the sheer scale of the plastic waste issue first-hand. We truly believe that by doing so, users will better connect with the prob- lem and therefore be moved to make changes in their con- sumption habits,” she said.
Another highlight of the site was a turtle sculpture made from more than 242kg of reclaimed and repurposed single-use plastics.
Named Eddy, after under- currents that move plastic around the ocean, the sculp- ture was created from mate- rial collected from waters around turtle habitats in northern Queensland. ■
NEWS
in REDcycle
in Australia to partner with REDcycle, and will add the scheme’s logo to its soft plas- tic packaging over the next 18 months to encourage recy- cling, said Lion CEO Stuart Irvine.
“We are now evaluating alternative packaging technol- ogies to further reduce our reliance on single-use plastics. We are also working with industry partners, such as the Australian Packaging Cove- nant Organisation, to develop broader industry solutions that minimise the impact of our
packaging and promote the circular economy to minimise waste in the environment.
“While we work our way through these big supply chain changes, actively sup- porting programs such as REDcycle helps raise aware- ness and encourages our consumers to ramp up their recycling efforts,” he said.
Plastic collected through REDcycle is used for a variety of recycled products.■
REDcycle turns used soft plastic packaging into new products.
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