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“It’s a small step and we’ve seen the repeated failure of voluntary schemes to make a major difference. With just a few years to 2025, we can’t waste time on case studies, pilots, workshops and more roadmaps.” Hey Hooman! gettin' your 5-a-day?... What about ME?! The report sets out the key benchmarks for when mandatory action should be taken by governments. “Our position is that if all necessary measures aren’t in place by mid-2022 and an independent review reporting by then isn’t confident all the targets can be met by 2025, then all targets should be mandated, by the start of 2023. This gives three years to achieve the targets – that is, change product design and content, invest in new processing, and place on the market.” veggie dog treats Australian Made Compostable Packaging Healthy Alternative Seen at SUSTAINABILITY ETHICAL TREATS FOR MAN’S BEST FRIEND Established in June 2019, Rascal’s Treats is a self-described ethical business, operating at all levels in consideration of the wellbeing of animals, people and the environment. Its dog treats are plant based: the business seeks out and supports local and Australian businesses in making purchases for its products and manufacturing site, and it’s committed to reducing its waste and carbon footprint. Last year, Rascals Treats became an accredited ACT government Actsmart business recycler. The business sends so little to landfill that it would take three months to fill a small backpack with waste from its manufacturing site. “Every decision we make as a team is considered through an animal welfare and sustainability lens,” Rascals Treats co-founder and partner Clare Guest told Retail World. “We know that every decision we make can and does make a difference, and we have high hopes for the future of our planet.” Another of Rascals Treats’ sustainability achievements is the use of certified home compostable packaging. “We chose to use sustainable, compostable packaging to reduce the carbon footprint of our company and the footprint of our loyal, conscientious customers,” Ms Guest said. “Finding a compostable packaging solution wasn’t easy. It honestly took years to find a consistently available option that provided effective food safety.” The team decided on a high-barrier compostable packaging made from three different compostable films laminated together to lock in the freshness, taste and flavour. Derived from sustainably produced wood pulp and GM-free corn sources, each film has been certified to the European and American commercial compostability standards (EN 13432 and ASTM6400) and either the European or Australian home compostable standards: OK Compost Home or AS5810. While plastic items in landfill can take hundreds or even thousands of years to break down, compost trials have shown that Rascals Treats’ bags can break down into small fragments in as little as 16 weeks (depending on the compost environment, temperature and humidity). “We’re so proud to be able to offer our customers a packaging solution that’s compostable when disposed of in a home, or industrial-composting or worm- farm environments,” Ms Guest said. “We believe this attribute of our products is quite unique in the dog treat market and in a lot of food packaging generally, and hope that its use begins to increase across the industry.” While environmentally friendly packaging options can be more expensive than alternatives, Ms Guest says traditional plastic packaging would be in conflict with the brand’s purpose and values. “While we do pay more for our packaging, we hope by supporting environmentally focused solutions they’ll become more mainstream and therefore more affordable for all businesses,” she said. Her advice to other small businesses looking to make the switch is to carry out extensive research, compare and question prices, and to always consider their company’s values when making decisions. “The more demand there is for compostable products, the better for everyone,” she said. rascalstreats.com.au JUN, 2021 RETAIL WORLD 23