Page 16 - Packaging News magazine May-June 2022

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SUSTAINABILITY | www.packagingnews.com.au | May-June 2022
APCO’s recycled materials pledge
The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation has launched the Recycled Materials Pledge, designed to drive greater uptake of recycled materials in packaging.
THE Pledge will challenge major brands to publicly commit the vol- umes of specific materials they will transition from virgin materials to recycled materials by 2025.
Increasing the use of recycled con- tent is a core element of the 2025 National Packaging Targets, and a critical factor in the establishment of a true circular economy for sustain- able packaging in Australia.
Crucially, the development of the Pledge will help to signal the level of demand for recycled packaging materials in the Australian market- place, and consequently help to drive increased investment in the necessary reprocessing capabilities.
“The Pledge will give fresh impe- tus to the uptake of recycled content,” said Brooke Donnelly, CEO of APCO.
“Being able to demonstrate firm commitments from businesses will showcase the significant demand that exists in the market for recycled materials – and give broader industry the motivation to step up to meet this demand,” she said.
“An item of packaging is only truly recycled when it is used again, so the importance of this initiative cannot be overstated.
“Significantly reducing our reliance on virgin materials will decrease the pressure we put on the plane’s finite resources, and ensure that valuable materials are not simply lost to landfill.”
Modelled on similar programs in Europe, the Pledge will allow APCO members to make detailed commit- ments to the recycled material market, and pledge their dedication to achiev- ing specific 2025 National Packaging Targets for recycled material.
APCO will analyse and aggregate all pledges, before sharing these insights publicly, to provide much needed clarity over market demand.
This comprehensive view of future demand in the country’s packag- ing, recycling and re-manufacturing industries will allow APCO to bring together the needs of industry and governments, to help facilitate the necessary re-processing and manu- facturing opportunities.
ABOVE: Increasing the use of recycled content is a core element of the 2025 National Packaging Targets.
“For some businesses, the Pledge is the initial step in their sustainabil- ity journey, while for others, it will reinforce current commitments to cir- cularity,” Donnelly added.
“Regardless, the Pledge will help businesses to play their role in the development of a circular economy, and work together to move Australia towards a more sustainable future for packaging.”
Australia has already made sig- nificant progress towards the 2025 National Packaging Target for recycled content, with the latest figures (2019- 20) showing a current average of 39 per cent recycled content included in pack- aging, against the target of 50 per cent.
However, APCO says progress lags towards material-specific targets, particularly for plastic packaging, which the Pledge initiative will aim to address. ■
The beauty of refillable
products
In a quest to explore sustainable products and eco-design in the beauty industry, Avery Dennison trials the concept of hypothetical brand Dot Dot Dot.
LEFT: The three dots symbolise continuation and the open- endedness of refillable products.
REFILLABLE beauty products offer a way to use high performing pack- aging materials more sustainably. Shoppers are rewarded for reusing containers, often with a refill dis- count, and brands have a new way to form valuable, long-term relationships with customers.
Hypothetical brand Dot Dot Dot is a refillable shampoo made from natural ingredients.
Avery Dennison says the three dots on the bottle, when put together like an ellipsis, are a symbol of continua- tion. The company goes on to explain that they are a nod to the cycles of nature, as well as to the “open-end- edness of refillable beauty products”.
The scattered dots are spread across the bottle, and according to the com- pany, represent the need to develop more conscious ‘slow’ routines.
The gold Voyage typeface adds an “elegant touch” and the words ‘nur- ture’, ‘cycle’, and ‘beauty’ communicate a reminder to refocus on more positive self-care habits, says Avery Dennison.
The filmic label is made from 100 per cent recycled PE resin (rPE) and applied to an HDPE bottle, “maximis- ing its recyclability and closing the loop on plastic waste”.
The recycled film is highly flex- ible, which makes it a great match for squeezable products like shampoo, says Avery Dennison. ■