Sustainable packaging celebrated at 2018 APCO Awards

The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) celebrated the sustainability achievements of 14 Australian organisations from a broad range of sectors — including manufacturing, retail, transport, technology, hospitality and pharmaceutical — at its annual awards evening held in Sydney last week.

APCO works with government and industry to reduce the harmful impact of packaging on Australian communities by moving towards a circular economy. It is the organisation charged by government to make all packaging recyclable, re-usable or compostable by 2025.

Some of Australia’s most recognisable brands, including Qantas, Campbell Arnott’s, Telstra and Optus, were recognised at the APCO Awards for their ongoing commitment to sustainable packaging. Finalists and winners were selected based on their performance in sustainable packaging design, recycling initiatives and product stewardship programs to develop sustainable supply chains.

Packaging manufacturer Detmold Packaging took out the coveted Sustainable Packaging Excellence Award, as well as the Packaging Manufacturer Award, for its innovation and collaboration with customers and researchers to work towards sustainable packaging. With a consistent overall on-site waste recycling rate of 85–86%, Detmold was also successful in developing closed-loop collaborative projects for sustainable recycling solutions.

Other significant award winners include:

• Campbell Arnott’s Australia (Outstanding Achievement in Packaging Design Award, Food and Beverage Award), which in 2017 implemented mandatory sustainability training for its internal packaging team;
• Australian Postal Organisation (Outstanding Achievement in Industry Leadership Award), which now has a 100% recyclable packaging range following the introduction of a take-back scheme and the adoption of the Australasian Recycling Label;
• CHEP Australia (Outstanding Achievement in Sustainable Packaging Operations Award, Logistics Award), whose share and re-use model maximises the use of pallets, crates and containers, enabling their customers unique access to a circular economy.
   

“All of the winners and finalists of the 2018 APCO Awards have demonstrated that no matter where their business sits within the packaging supply chain, there is always the opportunity for positive change,” said APCO CEO Brooke Donnelly. “This year we wanted to celebrate the industry members and key stakeholders who are leading the way in packaging sustainability.

“With the 2025 target to make all packaging 100% re-usable, recyclable or compostable now in focus, industry collaboration and innovation have never been more important. [The] award ceremony was an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of organisations that are leading the way in making this target a reality. We look forward to continuing to work with them in close partnership, in order to share the innovation, learning and insights required to build a circular economy here in Australia.”

Image caption: Tom Lunn, Group General Manager – Marketing & Innovation at Detmold Group, receives the Sustainable Packaging Excellence Award.