AUSTRALIA | Fonterra has been recognised for its commitment to sustainable packaging, achieving ‘Leading’ status under APCO.
APCO has aimed to reduce the environmental impact of packaging in Australia, working with the government and industry to improve packaging sustainability. It has held organisations accountable for various metrics, including governance and strategy, recoverability, problematic materials, design, and procurement.
Fonterra Sustainability Packaging Manager for Global Markets, Jenny Phillips, said that APCO has been crucial in driving the transition towards more sustainable packaging practices in Australia.
“Since last year, we have improved our APCO performance rating from 74 per cent to 79 per cent, with notable advancements in two key areas – Disposal Labelling and Recycled Content,” said Phillips.
“In the Disposal Labelling category, we have moved from Advanced to Beyond Best Practice, with 96 per cent of our consumer products now displaying the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL).”
The ARL has provided consumers with clear and consistent disposal information, facilitating better recycling practices. Making recycling information accessible and understandable for consumers has fostered a circular economy.
Fonterra moved from Leading to Advanced in the Recycled Content category. This achievement was attributed to an active collaboration with the PACT group and Circular Plastics Australia, which focused on validating the food, safety, and quality aspects of recycled content for its milk bottles.
It also maintained 'Beyond Best Practice' ratings in Governance & Strategy and Design & Procurement, reflecting the successful integration of sustainability into its business strategy and adherence to the Sustainable Packaging Guidelines for both new and existing packaging.
“Sustainability is central to our strategy in Australia, and we’re thrilled that APCO has recognised our progress to date. Although improving packaging sustainability across the supply chain is a huge task, much work remains.”
Phillips added that Fonterra has 28 sustainable packaging projects underway and will continue to invest heavily in this area as it works towards a target of 100 percent of its dairy product packaging being reusable, recyclable, or compostable by the end of 2025.
