The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) awards bought companies of all industries together in Sydney on the 29th of August.
From telecommunications, to food and beverage, to the machinery and hardware sector, all industries come together for one common purpose – to meet the target of making packaging 100 per cent reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.
The day began with two workshops – one on a sustainable packaging guidelines review and one on consumer education and behaviour change.
Companies had the chance to discuss how to achieve the 2025 goal, sharing ideas on what prices they had already implemented and what could be improved.
READ: Australian Institute of Packaging to introduce sustainable packaging design course
At the workshopping event, APCO chief executive officer Brooke Donnelly said Australia was undergoing a sustainable packaging review as there hadn’t been one since 2011 and it needed to be updated.
“What we are trying to achieve is better material choices and better design,” said Donnelly.
Part of that achievement also included correct disposal of packaging and no packaging in landfill, she said.
At the awards evening, Demold packaging won the top award – Sustainable Packaging Excellence.
Detmold Packaging manufacturers paper and board packaging products for the FMCG and industrial markets.
As part of the privately owned Detmold Group, founded in 1948, Detmold Packaging has access to a worldwide network comprising seven factories and more than 20 sales offices throughout Australia, Asia, South Africa, the Middle East, America and Europe.
The food and beverage industry made its mark at the awards night, with Campbell Arnott’s Australia taking out a top award for Outstanding Achievement in Packaging Design.
The company also won the award for the Food and Beverage sector.
Campbell Arnott’s director of packaging Liza Vernalls said the award demonstrated the company’s commitment to packaging sustainability.
“It has been a great achievement from our packaging team, with full support from our leadership and manufacturing teams, together with the strong partnerships with our suppliers giving us such great results in a short period of time,” said Vernalls.
Other finalist organisations in the food sector included Nestlé Australia, Smith’s Snackfood and Sakata Rice Snacks Australia, Mountain Bread, and Fonterra Brands.
Donnelly praised the Australian brands for their commitment to reducing the harmful impacts of packaging on the environment.
“All 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 opportunity for positive change,” said Donnelly.
These companies were fantastic examples of sustainable leadership in the food and beverage sector, she said.
“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.”
Campbell Arnott’s demonstrated a commitment to operating more sustainably and in 2017, facilitated mandatory sustainability training with its internal packaging team.
The company also converted more than 1,400 tonnes of tertiary packaging from bleached white board to higher recycled content domestic brown board. Through this, Campbell Arnott’s was able to close the loop on paper and corrugated board recycling.
Arnott’s is one of the largest food companies in the Asia Pacific region. Its ongoing growth has been supported by the Campbell Soup Company’s investment in the business.
More than 50,000 Australians have worked with Arnott’s during the past century. Today, Arnott’s employs about 2,400 Australians across the country.
It also employs thousands of people across the Asia Pacific region, in countries such as New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan.
The other winners for outstanding achievements were CHEP Australia for Outstanding Achievement in Sustainable Packaging Operations, and Australian Postal Organisation for Outstanding Achievement in Industry Leadership.
Other winners were:
ACCO Brands Australia – Homewares Sector
Amgen Australia – Pharmaceutical Sector
Detmold Packaging – Packaging Manufacturer
Redback Boots – Clothing, Footwear and Fashion
Kyocera Document Solutions – Electronics Sector
LyondellBasel Australia – Chemicals and Agriculture
Qantas Airways – Airline Sector
SingTel Optus – Telecommunications
Telstra Corporation – Telecomunications
Super Retail Group – Large Retailer Sector
Tasman Sinkware – Machinery and Hardware
Integria Healthcare – Personal Care
CHEP Australia – Logistics Sector