Australia's leading wholesaler, Metcash, announced it will support the National Plastics Recycling Scheme (NPRS) in closing the loop on soft plastic waste.
The NPRS is an industry-led scheme created to fill the gaps in Australia's soft plastic recycling capability and establish a long-term circular economy for household soft plastics.
Metcash, the leading supplier to independent supermarkets in Australia, including IGA and Foodland stores, has become the first grocery retailer to officially support the NPRS. This commitment involves providing crucial packaging data from its private-label grocery products and offering financial support and insights to shape and further promote the programme.
The NPRS aims to increase the availability of food-grade recycled content in packaging, incentivise sustainable packaging design, and increase the recycling rate of soft plastics.
Other NPRS supporters include suppliers of fast-moving consumer goods such as Mondelēz International, Unilever and PepsiCo.
To date, the NPRS has focused on trialling kerbside collections of soft plastic household waste for recycling into food-grade plastic packaging as part of a new, onshore circular system.
"We recognise the opportunity the NPRS presents to advance our progress on reducing waste to landfill through working cooperatively with industry on a scalable, long-lasting solution accessible to all Australians," said Estella Young, Executive General Manager of Merchandise at Metcash Food.
Supporting the NPRS is A natural extension of Metcash's vision to create a sustainable future. It aligns perfectly with the company's strategic priorities of increasing the use of sustainable packaging in its products and reducing packaging waste in its supply chain. This commitment underscores Metcash's unwavering dedication to environmental stewardship.
By supporting the NPRS, Metcash is not only accelerating new packaging solutions and reducing waste to landfill in its distribution centres and independent retail network, but also making it easier for its shoppers to recycle their soft-plastic household waste. This commitment is a testament to Metcash's dedication to providing its customers with the most convenient and sustainable shopping experience possible.
As a member of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), Metcash has adopted its 2025 national packaging targets, including increasing the amount of reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging and phasing out problematic and unnecessary single-use packaging.
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