Sustainability Insider: August 2025

Sustainability Insider

21 August 2025

Welcome to the August edition of Sustainability Insider, where we explore some of the newest initiatives reducing Australian FMCG’s environmental footprint.

Industry insights

Suntory Oceania launches carbon-neutral facility in Queensland

Suntory Oceania has launched a $400 million carbon neutral beverage manufacturing and distribution hub at Swanbank in Queensland. Spanning 17 hectares, the facility supports over 40 drink brands and features highspeed bottling and canning lines capable of filling up to 180,000 cans per hour. The site can store more than 50,000 pallets. It includes 14 km of solar panels, a biomass boiler that uses sawmill offcuts, organic Rankine cycle technology and water recycling systems. This investment marks Australia’s largest FMCG infrastructure project in over a decade and embodies Suntory’s “Growing for Good” sustainability philosophy.

Read more at Packaging News >>

Viva Energy rebrands PP line to PlasVE

Viva Energy has renamed its polypropylene product line to PlasVE, marking a new era for Australia’s sole domestic PP manufacturer at its Geelong facility. The rebrand includes PlasVEBio, which incorporates biobased feedstocks such as used cooking oil. This transition reflects Viva Energy’s commitment to circular plastics and advanced recycling technologies. The products themselves remain unchanged; only the branding has been updated. The rebrand aligns with broader milestones in the company’s sustainability efforts, including the production of ISCC+ certified biocircular polypropylene.

Read more at Packaging News >>

2D barcodes: The way of the future

Industry leaders at CeMAT Sydney recently discussed the rapid rise of 2D barcodes as powerful tools for sustainability. They pack detailed data (expiry dates, batch and origin information) directly into packaging, enabling automated markdowns and traceability. Woolworths reports up to 40% reduction in food waste and 21% gains in productivity thanks to expiry-date-enabled mark-downs.

Read more at Packaging News >>

Adam Culley appointed Co-CEO of Planet Ark

Adam Culley has been appointed coCEO of Planet Ark alongside CEO Rebecca Gilling, marking a planned leadership transition. Culley, currently deputy CEO, will become sole CEO by the end of 2025 as Gilling prepares to retire. The paired leadership is intended to ensure a smooth and purposeful handover. The appointment comes amid a broader organisational renewal following Planet Ark’s recent exit from voluntary administration. Culley’s instrumental leadership during the restructuring phase is highlighted as key to guiding Planet Ark into its next era of environmental advocacy and public engagement.

Read more at Packaging News >>

Fibre packaging leading the sustainability shift

Fibre-based packaging is now leading the sustainability shift in Australia’s packaging industry. At a recent reuse event, Detpak’s Mark Rohrlach stressed that fibre isn’t following the trend, it’s “driving the bus.” Recent technological advances have expanded fibre’s applicability across FMCG, improving recyclability and reducing waste. Fibre-based formats now represent over half of packaging in use nationally, with high recovery rates—though significant volume still ends up in landfill. As regulatory pressure, consumer expectations, and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) loom, fibre packaging is emerging as the sustainable, circular-material solution that combines functionality with environmental integrity.

Read more at Packaging News >>

Policy and regulation – Australia

Monash University guide simplifies must-haves for climate reporting

With mandatory climate-related financial disclosures beginning in July 2024, Australian companies are under pressure to create credible net zero transition plans. To help navigate complex global guidance, Monash University’s Climateworks Centre has released a new Australian-first guide that offers clear criteria to assess the credibility of these plans. Developed with input from industry and climate experts, the guide translates global best practices into an Australian framework. As expectations rise among investors, regulators, and consumers, the guide aims to ensure climate plans are more than just paperwork and become meaningful tools for real corporate climate action.

Victorian Government finalises Circular Economy (Waste Reduction and Recycling) (Wate to Energy Scheme) Amendment Regulations

The Circular Economy (Waste Reduction and Recycling) (Waste to Energy Scheme) Amendment Regulations 2025 have been finalised following public consultation led by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA).

The amendment to the Circular Economy (Waste Reduction and Recycling) (Waste to Energy Scheme) Regulations 2023 increases the waste to energy cap limit from 2 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) to 2.5 mtpa. The new cap limit came into effect on 15 July 2025.

This fulfils the commitment made by the Victorian Government in its Economic Growth Statement to increase the Waste to Energy Scheme cap limit to 2.5 mtpa, subject to a Regulatory Impact Statement.  

DEECA thanks all those who provided their views during the public consultation.

A response to public comments report is now available. To download the report, please see the Engage Victoria page. The amended regulations can be accessed via the Victorian Legislation website.

NSW Government on track to meet climate targets

In a recent press release, Minister Penny Sharpe confirmed that the NSW Government is on track to meet its climate targets, currently just 4% short of its 2030 goal to reduce emissions by 50%. A new Net Zero Plan will take a sector-by-sector approach to help achieve the 2030 and 2035 targets and reach net zero by 2050. The plan will involve all relevant Ministers and focus on key sectors like transport and the built environment. Emissions from transport are projected to surpass those from energy by 2030, highlighting progress in renewables. Minister Sharpe reaffirmed the government’s commitment to meeting its legislated climate goals.

Member spotlight: Chobani

Big Hive Awards win for Chobani Australia’s new yogurt pots

Chobani Australia recently won the Best Packaging Award at the 2025 Hive Awards for its Gippsland Dairy Crafted 150 g yogurt pot. The winning design features a crystal-clear, embossed 100% PET container that mimics glass, paired with a heat-sealed foil lid and a recyclable kraft paperboard sleeve printed with soybased ink. All components are designed to be fully recyclable in Australia, aided by Australasian Recycling Label guidance. Developed in line with APCO sustainable packaging standards, the pack balances premium presentation, retail practicality, and environmental responsibility, and generated AU $3.1 million in retail sales within four months.

Contact

Sarah Collier – Director, Sustainability sarah.collier@afgc.org.au