Sustainable packaging packs a punch at APCO awards

This year’s Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) Annual Awards celebrated sustainable packaging innovation, commitment and ingenuity in the packaging industry.

More than 20 accolades were awarded during the virtual event, to organisations and individuals representing a broad range of industry sectors including retail, electronics, manufacturing, health care, logistics, and food and beverage.

The finalists and winners were recognised for their best-practice approach to sustainable packaging design, industry leadership and sustainability education.

LyondellBasell took home the coveted Sustainable Packaging Excellence Award at the virtual awards ceremony, recognised for several impressive achievements — including its move to deliver 70% of products in reusable bulk packaging formats and diverting 80% of onsite waste from landfill.

LyondellBasell Australia Managing Director Mitchell Killeen (winner of the Sustainable Packaging Excellence Award and the Packaging Manufacturers and Suppliers Industry Sector Award) commented, “At LyondellBasell Australia we strive for excellence in everything we do, including safely and reliably delivering high-quality products to our customers.

“In 2019, we are very proud to have delivered more than 70% of our domestic product in reusable packaging, highlighting our commitment to sustainability. It is both a great honour and motivator to receive recognition with this APCO award.”

This year’s ceremony also included a new category, the Our Packaging Future Awards, which highlighted leadership from members in three areas: improved collection and recycling systems (awarded to TerraCycle Australia and New Zealand); end-market development (awarded to Coca-Cola Amatil); and sustainable packaging education for both industry (awarded to ALDI) and consumers (awarded to Unilever).

Other award recipients included Kellogg’s (Outstanding Achievement in Sustainable Packaging Operations), which has redesigned almost all packaging for optimised materials efficiency and weight reduction, with more than 85% now recyclable through kerbside or via the REDcycle program. Also recognised was CHEP Australia (Outstanding Achievement in Sustainable Packaging Outcomes), which has achieved its outstanding zero product-waste-to-landfill target, and Coca-Cola Amatil (Outstanding Achievement in Leadership), which has achieved the impressive feat of manufacturing seven out of 10 of its plastic bottles from 100% recycled materials.

Congratulations also go to Matthew Mills, National Sales and Marketing Manager, Garden City Plastics, who was awarded this year’s Sustainability Champion Award in recognition of his commitment to improving recycling rates for plant packaging and sustainability in the horticulture industry.

This year’s New Member Award went to KeepCup, an organisation that embraces circularity, reuse and packaging reduction at its core. KeepCup was commended for its commitment to consumer education and engagement, with the brand estimating its ‘reuse revolution’ helps to avoid more than 5 million single-use cups being used every day.

Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management Trevor Evans shared his well wishes with this year’s finalists via a video played during the awards ceremony.

“While 2020 has contained many challenges and distractions, over the last 12 months Australia has continued to make huge progress when it comes to recycling, waste reduction and resource recovery,” he said.

“These awards showcase some fantastic stories of achievement, innovation and leadership in sustainable packaging, and I applaud all the winners and finalists for their commitment and determination to make 2020 a year of unparalleled delivery towards the 2025 National Packaging Targets.”

APCO CEO Brooke Donnelly commented, “On behalf of the APCO team, congratulations to all of our APCO awards finalists and winners for 2020. The devastating impacts of COVID-19 have meant a year of deep uncertainty for our industry. Yet despite its numerous challenges, I’m proud to confirm that APCO and our members have continued to deliver tangible, measurable and inspiring action against the 2025 National Packaging Targets. Every business shortlisted has displayed a dedication to innovative packaging design, a deep commitment to supply chain collaboration, and demonstrated clear leadership among their peers and competitors.”

The full list of award winners can be found here.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/vege