Page 21 - Packaging News Jan-Feb 2020

January-February 2020
www.packagingnews.com.au
PEOPLE IN PACKAGING
21
Man of his word
Australian-based sustainable
and renewable packaging manufacturer BioPak was the recent recipient of the Outstanding Achievement in Industry Leadership prize at the 2019 Australian Packaging Covenant Awards. The award was in large part recognition for the efforts of founder Richard Fine, who has long been a champion for the anti-packaging-waste cause. Lindy Hughson writes.
CLOSE on 15 years ago, when I started working on PKN, one of the first inter- views I undertook was with Richard Fine, founder of BioPak. At the time, the company was just starting to make waves with its compostable food service packaging. In the ensu-
ing years I have observed Fine’s unflagging commitment to his cause: raising aware- ness around the need to reduce packaging waste, and delivering environment-friend- ly solutions to make this happen.
WHEN DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED WITH PACKAGING AND WHAT LED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF BIOPAK?
I have been involved in the plastics indus- try from a very early age, my father having established a plastics converting business in the 1970s.
I was fortunate to have a mother who in- stilled in me an appreciation for the beauty of the natural world and the understanding that we are not owners nor idle spectators; rather, we are stewards of the environment and each of us has a responsibility to take care of our planet and all living things
In 2003 I immigrated to Australia; it was here, in a city renowned for its pristine beaches, that I became aware of the impact of plastics in the environment.
As a result of my lifelong career in plas- tics, I was quite adept at identifying the ma- terial and its prolific uses in all areas of modern life, and perhaps it was because of this that I couldn’t help but notice and feel partly responsible for the significant amount of plastic pollution present along every beach I visited. In 2006, after reading the book “Cradle to Cradle”, I was inspired
to apply my knowledge of the plastics in- dustry, combined with my love of nature, to heal the world and to use my skills to create a future without plastic pollution.
WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL VIEW ON PROGRESS BEING MADE TOWARDS THE 2025 NATIONAL PACKAGING TARGETS?
I think it’s possible to meet the 2025 targets; however, it will require a concerted effort and significant investment across the sup- ply chain. There is a lack of collaboration and shared vision amongst competitors, which may slow down the adoption of solu- tions that are best for Australia but not nec- essarily best for every business.
YOUR COMPANY HAS INTRODUCED SEVERAL GAME-CHANGING SOLUTIONS TO THE MARKET, WHICH DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT?
The introduction of compostable packaging was the foundation of the business, howev- er, without a viable end-of-life option the full benefit could never be realised, which is why the most significant initiative has been the introduction of the compost ser- vice. While it is still in its infancy, it is al- ready racking up some impressive results.
We have diverted 940 tonnes of food and packaging waste from landfill and, by do-
Steward of the environment: Richard Fine, director and founder of BioPak (left), with the Outstanding Achievement in Industry Leadership trophy awarded by the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation.
that material we have created 658 tonnes of high quality nutrient-rich compost which will be returned to the soil.
BIOPAK RECENTLY DECLARED A CLIMATE
EMERGENCY. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO
ACHIEVE THROUGH THIS?
An emergency requires urgent and effec-
tive actions. We want to ensure that global
warming as a result of human activity re-
mains front and centre in the minds of
consumers and businesses. The global fo-
cus should be to decouple production from
fossil carbon; the current system comes
with an environmental cost that can no longer be ignored.
WHAT KEEPS YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT?
I’m always looking for ways to make the
world a better place. The thoughts that keep
me awake at night are all about the oppor-
tunities available to reinvent and redesign
the products, systems and materials in
order for humanity to live comfortably,

sustainably, and in harmony with nature. ■

ing so, have reduced greenhouse gas emis- sions equivalent to 3,570 tonnes of CO2 (that’s nearly 1000 cars off the road). With