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SUSTAINABILITY BUSINESSES AND NATIONS UNITE TO FIGHT PLASTIC WOES Is a pact to address packaging enough to tackle plastic pollution, or do we need a plan B? PBy Hailey Settineri. lastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental issues facing the planet. ‘Breaking the Plastic Wave’, a global analysis using first-of-its kind modelling, has found the volume of plastic on the market will double, the annual volume of plastic entering the ocean will almost triple, and ocean plastic stocks will quadruple by 2040 if we fail to act. Fortunately, steps are being taken. Last month, leading businesses, NGOs and governments from across the plastic supply chain in the Australia, New Zealand and Pacific island regions united behind the ANZPAC Plastics Pact (ANZPAC). The ambitious new cross-regional program aims to transform our response to plastic by eliminating the plastics we don’t need, innovating to ensure that the plastics we do need are reusable, recyclable or compostable, and circulating the plastic we use, keeping it in the economy and out of the environment. ANZPAC members will work towards four clear, actionable targets by 2025: • Eliminating “unnecessary and problematic plastic packaging” through redesign, innovation and alternative (reuse) delivery models. • Making 100 per cent of plastic packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. • Increasing plastic packaging collected and effectively recycled by 25 per cent for each geography within the ANZPAC region. • Averaging 25 per cent recycled content in plastic packaging across the region. Among ANZPAC’s founding members and supporters are the Arnott’s Group, Asahi Beverages, Coca-Cola South Pacific, Colgate Palmolive, ecostore, Mondelēz, Nestlé, Pepsico ANZ and Unilever, plus retailers ALDI, Coles and Woolworths. Retailers commit ALDI Australia Director of Corporate Responsibility Daniel Baker says the decision to become an ANZPAC signatory demonstrates ALDI’s dedication to driving industry innovation to minimise plastics across the whole supply chain. “We recognise the importance of acting now, and our pledge to support the ANZPAC Plastics Pact ensures we strive to continually improve in the plastics space and going the extra mile with our goals,” he said. In 2019, ALDI made the ambitious commitment to reduce plastics and packaging by 25 per cent by 2025. To support this goal, ALDI has already phased out unnecessary single-use plastics such as single-use plastic tableware and plastic cotton buds from its range. Commenting on Coles’ signing of the Pact, the retailer’s Chief Executive Commercial and Express Greg Davis says the partnership will help fulfil the retailer’s recently launched ‘Together to Zero’ sustainability strategy, committing to deliver net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and long-term aspiration towards zero waste and zero hunger. “We have an ambition to be Australia’s most sustainable supermarket, working with our suppliers, customers and other stakeholders towards zero waste,” he said. “As a founding member of the ANZPAC Plastics Pact, we now have an opportunity to build and shape meaningful change through plastic packaging, and move towards a circular plastic economy as a global community.” In March, Coles announced a joint feasibility study into an Australian-first advanced recycling facility to turn soft plastic back into oil, to produce new soft plastic food packaging. Don’t get too excited While many in the industry have welcomed the pact, the Boomerang Alliance of 53 NGOs warns that it’s not the major step in tackling the plastic waste crisis. “With only 13 per cent of plastic packaging being actually recycled and just four per cent with recycled content, there are some very big challenges ahead,” Boomerang Alliance Director Jeff Angel said. The alliance takes issue with the voluntary nature of the pact and the Australian Packaging Covenant. It has released a report, ‘What’s the plan B for packaging?’, seeking to make the 2025 pact and national packaging targets mandatory in Australia. “When a company says its packaging product is recyclable or compostable, and even has an Australian Recycling Label, that doesn’t mean it will be recycled in practice,” Mr Angel said. SOLAR POWERED SOUP The South Australian Gourmet Food Company (SAGFC) has found a sunny solution to the challenges of producing high quality local product while remaining competitive against cheaper imports. And the result may just be the most sustainable soup range on the market. As a food company in a foodie state, SAGFC couldn’t compromise in the sourcing of its ingredients when looking to reduce production costs. Instead, the company turned to addressing power prices. It did this by investing in solar power and an advanced water recycling system at its manufacturing site. “The new technology reduced our water consumption by 90 per cent,” Marketing Director Dean de Villiers said, “and on any given day when the sun is shining, we produce our soups with solar power.” SAGFC’s soups include Tuscan Tomato & Basil, Creamy Chicken & Sweetcorn, Classic Italian Minestrone, Creamy Pumpkin, and Green Pea & Smokey Bacon. They’re ranged in the soup aisle at Woolworths. Mr de Villiers says the investment in sustainability enables the company to produce Australian soup made from the goodness of the sun. “Why not try some real Australian made product with Australian ingredients from Australian farmers, powered by the Australian sun, that saves Australian water?” he said. Learn more about SAGFC at facebook.com/sagourmetfood or sagourmetfoodco.com.au. 22 RETAIL WORLD JUN, 2021