Innovative and effective packaging design has the power to significantly improve recycling outcomes and reduce waste to landfill, said Craig Miller, CEO of The Packaging Forum.
"Designing packaging with its end-of-life in mind isn’t just good sustainability practice — it’s good business," he said.
“It demands collaboration across the entire supply chain, brands, manufacturers, recyclers, and policy-makers, to ensure packaging fits local collection, sorting, and reprocessing systems. Brands must avoid introducing materials into the New Zealand market that lack viable local processing pathways."
As consumer expectations around sustainability continue to rise, alongside increasing regulatory pressure, brands are being challenged to think more deeply about what happens to their packaging long after it leaves the shelf.
The focus is shifting from design and functionality alone to whether packaging genuinely works within New Zealand’s recycling and resource recovery systems.
However, Miller emphasised that recyclability is only one part of the equation. Reducing or eliminating unnecessary packaging, optimising pack sizes, and exploring refill and reuse models are also important. These approaches help move businesses beyond single-use formats and toward more circular systems.
Drawing on a strong network of local and international experts, The Packaging Forum works closely with its members and industry partners to develop and operate practical, circular solutions for packaging. It also provides access to global insights, best practices, and technical guidance, including support for sustainable packaging design, recycling labelling, and resource recovery initiatives.
End-of-life solutions should be practical, not theoretical — whether through kerbside recycling, dedicated recycling schemes, or reuse models.
He points to the Forum’s recycling schemes and technical advisory groups as examples of this in action. These member-led voluntary initiatives bring together material experts to deliver viable end-of-life pathways for a range of packaging types that cannot currently be collected from kerbside, including soft plastics, food and beverage cartons, and metal and plastic caps and lids; as well as supporting organisations to improve glass recycling outcomes.
“Our recycling schemes are practical examples of circularity in action, giving waste materials ongoing value by turning them into new products — from fence posts to sustainable building materials,” he said.
“And we strongly believe you’re not recycling if you’re not buying recycled, as put simply, without demand for the products made from our domestic waste, there is no pull through for our schemes.”
Continue reading in the latest issue here, and to learn more about what the Packaging Forum does and about how you can become a member, visit www.packagingforum.org.nz.
