Leading industry and government representatives have joined forces to drive national packaging targets for 2025.
Waste Reduction and Environmental Management assistant minister Trevor Evans will today open the first meeting of the Collective Action Group (CAG), a team of 12 leading representatives.
They will be charged with overseeing the progress of Australia’s 2025 National Packaging targets.
Country Road Group and David Jones are among the organisations involved, with Coca Cola Amatil and Coles also part of the retail contingent.
The 2025 targets were launched by government and industry in 2018, providing a clear mandate to deliver a new sustainable pathway for packaging in Australia.
The CAG’s role is to work with APCO to oversee the development of a systemic model for how Australia can deliver the 2025 targets.
The primary task for the CAG in 2019 is to develop a white paper setting out the roadmap for all stakeholders and identifying the critical interventions required to successfully transition Australia to a circular economy for packaging.
The CAG brings together representatives from the resource recovery, community, government, packaging, retail and manufacturing sectors to tackle Australia’s packaging waste challenges.
Over the next 12 months, APCO will be delivering an extensive program of projects to drive the delivery of the 2025 National Packaging Targets.
These will be facilitated by a team of APCO Working Groups, comprising nearly 100 participants from industry and government across Australia which will in turn provide analysis and resources to the overarching CAG.
The projects include comprehensive infrastructure mapping of the current waste and recycling system and a series of models for alternatives; a range of research and trials to better understand compostability, remote and regional waste collection partnerships, phasing out of single use plastics and consumer education initiatives to ensure a consistent approach to resource recovery in the packaging streams.
Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation CEO Brooke Donnelly praised the representatives involved.
“The formation of the CAG is an exciting milestone in our work towards delivering the targets and it’s fantastic to bring together such a prestigious group of leaders for the task.
"The 2025 National Packaging Targets are some of the most ambitious and decisive environmental targets to be supported in Australia and their delivery requires collaboration from across industry.
"We applaud all CAG participants and their leading organisations for stepping up as key players in the global movement to create sustainable packaging solutions that drive accountability, transparency and shared value for consumers, industry and government."