Page 23 - Packaging News Magazine Nov-Dec 2021

November-December 2021 | www.packagingnews.com.au | CIRCULAR ECONOMY
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used the PREP tool, ensuring that all packaging displaying the ARL has been designed for recyclability in the mar- kets where the products are to be sold.”
From a circular economy perspec- tive, Garofano says, “The ARL helps designers address CE principles one and two, while also delivering sus- tainable packaging, as per APCO’s Sustainable Packaging Guidelines.”
Planet Ark’s role in the partner- ship is to help educate the community (households, school students, indi- viduals) about the ARL. Since the end of 2019, the education campaigns have been viewed on social media, on television, and within schools. The messaging around the ARL on social media is ongoing, with the television campaign running from the end of 2020 into early 2021.
Schools have benefitted from the development of ARL lesson plans, from Foundation to Year 10, reaching some 80,000 students since first launched. Planet Ark has recently launched a unit plan specifically for the ARL including eight lesson plans for Years 5 and 6. A new digital media campaign is being launched ahead of National Recycling Week, taking place between 8 and 14 November 2021, where a range of activ- ities will be promoted and encouraged.
COFFEE CAPSULES
A second action that will see Planet Ark help to encourage behaviour change with packaging and the adoption of principle two of a cir- cular economy is with the Coffee Capsule Product Stewardship Scheme (CCPSS). Planet Ark is one of 20 organ- isations to receive project funding from the Federal Government’s Product Stewardship Investment Fund. The Fund forms part of the Australian Government’s $167 million Australian Recycling Investment Plan and National Waste Policy Action Plan to increase Australia’s recycling rates, tackle plastic waste and litter and halve food waste by 2030.
CCPSS Project technical manager, Dr Sean O’Malley says, “The scheme is being developed in partnership with Nespresso and Woolworths Group and will address the capsules available on the domestic market in Australia.” O’Malley explained that to ensure
widespread engagement in the scheme, the project team is working with a range of other stakeholders including retailers, coffee brands and local and international manufacturers.
The CCPSS will include alumin- ium, compostable, plastic and hybrid capsules. The project will not only determine the fate of the packaging, but also of the coffee grounds them- selves, providing some innovative alternatives to disposal to landfill.
Coffee drinkers will need to wait until later in 2022 to start participat- ing in the scheme. However, with the interest already shown through the stakeholder consultation conducted to date, there will be positive oppor- tunities for improved recovery for all brands across the range of systems.
ACE HUB
The latest major initiative from Planet Ark, the Australian Circular Economy Hub (ACE Hub), provides an umbrella for the future of circular economy related activities in Australia with a focus on government and industry. Dr Garofano says, “Planet Ark is facilitat- ing the transition to a circular economy in Australia by providing a focal point for circular economy knowledge and inspiration in Australia. Since the launch of the ACE Hub in November 2020, we have been working with stakeholders to provide information and connections to raise awareness of the circular economy and to showcase those already on their CE pathways.”
ABOVE: Paul Klymenko, founder and CEO of Planet Ark, addresses media and stakeholders at the ACE launch.
Garofano says the end of 2021 will see the launch of several reports and events, including the 2021 Circularity in Australian Business Report. “We know that Australian business lead- ers believe the circular economy will be important to the future of their business. We also know that business leaders need information and knowl- edge to take action towards a circular economy. Providing this information and knowledge is a core focus on our 2022 activities. Watch this space to learn more!” she says.
For packaging, Garofano says, there is much to applaud and much to achieve. “We are seeing significant shifts in the design of packaging, as we saw with this year’s PIDA Sustainable Packaging Category awardees. Many designers are already making the transition to a cir- cular economy. But there is much more to do – not only to design out waste and pollution, but to innovate in packag- ing decisions of how packaging can be reduced in the first place. This will always be the first goal and one that will take innovative engineers ready to take brave steps into shifting the paradigm of packaging globally,” Garofano says.
No single community, company, industry, government or country can transition our world economy. The cir- cular economy needs to cross borders, cross sectors, and work with all to make this important shift.
Planet Ark is looking forward to supporting this transition – for now and the future. ■
ABOUT PLANET ARK
PLANET ARK Environmental Foundation is an Australian not-for-profit environmental organisation that was founded in 1992. It aims to create simple, powerful and positive actions that help people, governments and businesses reduce their impact on the environment. Its
vision is to create a future where people live in balance with nature. Planet Ark has an almost 30-year history of leading or participating in collaborative projects with industry, government at all levels, product stewardship organisations and other not-for-profits.