Packaging

As APCO members we have set commitment when it comes to reducing and improving packaging. Making better packaging decisions contributes to our overarching goal of lowering our environmental footprint through waste reduction, efficiency of resource use and using lower impact materials. We strongly encourage everyone in the business to source responsible packaging and where possible eliminate, avoid or reduce packaging altogether.

We also encourage all members to make packaging decisions in line with the APCO Sustainable Packaging Guidelines and the 2025 National Packaging Targets.

These are as follows:

Sustainable Packaging Guidelines:

The Sustainable Packaging Guidelines (SPGs) is a comprehensive, publicly available resource used to assist in the sustainable design and manufacture of packaging in Australia. The purpose of the SPGs is to assist Australian organisations to integrate the following ten Sustainable Packaging Principles (the Principles) into their operations.

These Principles have been designed to optimise outcomes for packaging functionality and sustainability, and to help collectively deliver Australia’s 2025 National Packaging Targets (APCO, 2022):

APCO Targets

The 2025 National Packaging Targets (the 2025 Targets) are supported by Australian industry and government to deliver a new and sustainable approach to packaging. They apply to all packaging that is made, used, and sold in Australia. APCO is the organisation charged by government to facilitate the delivery of the 2025 Targets (aiming to be achieved by 31 December 2025) (APCO, 2022).

Some key achievement in FY22 for packaging were:

• Trialling the elimination of indent paper slips for dispatch in our packaging, reducing paper consumption by eight tonnes
• Undertaking a four-week trial with Reground to collect and recycle coloured soft plastic. Reground creates a community around waste resources and our current waste disposal structure to minimise the amount of coffee grounds, chaff and soft plastic ending up in landfill
• Rebranding our new warehouse cartons to ensure the end user knows how to correctly dispose of the packaging
• Ensuring all footwear boxes are made from fully recycled cardboard and advising customers that branded cardboard cartons are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) certified and should be recycled
• Reducing the use of swing tags and ensuring the remaining swing tags are FSC® certified
• Reducing the use of plastic bags where possible

Moving forward some of the key agenda items are:

• Further eliminating and reducing plastic where possible
• Increasing the amount of recycled inputs use (we are trialling a post-consumer recycled ecommerce satchel in MADC)
• Ensuring all cardboard is being recycled where possible
• Further adding recycling instructions to our packaging
• Trialling compostable bags where there is an indication it may be a feasible alternative