The Hon. Melissa Price MP
Minister for the Environment
Australians will find it easier to recycle in future, with the new Australasian Recycling Label officially launched at the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation’s Towards 2025 event in Melbourne.
I am delighted that Australian businesses have moved so quickly to respond to the recycling challenges set by Australian governments. More than 50 businesses are now using this new recycling label on their packaging.
The new labelling system developed by Planet Ark, PREP Design and the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) provides easy-to-understand recycling information when we need it most – in those few seconds when Australians are deciding which bin to use.
The label removes confusion and reduces waste. It also helps prevent the wrong waste contaminating the recycling stream.
Today the National Packaging Targets were also announced.
We’ve endorsed these targets, as they build on our commitment at the April Meeting of the Environment Ministers to make 100 per cent of all packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025 or earlier.
The industry-led waste targets will see 70 per cent of Australia’s plastic packaging being recycled or composted, 30 per cent average recycled content across all packaging and phasing out of problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic packaging. All this will build towards our 100 per cent target set for 2020.
These are critical steps as Australia moves toward a more circular approach to resource use, where waste is treated as a resource for as long as possible.
APCO and its members recognise that changing the way Australia manages waste can only be achieved by collaboration.
APCO, Woolworths and business leaders including Coca-Cola Amatil, Goodman Fielder, Nestle, Pact Group, Simplot and Unilever have all been instrumental in moving to tackle Australia’s waste challenges and support the targets. This is an important commitment to better manage packaging waste and I congratulate APCO and its 1100 member companies on the National Packaging Targets.
