Sustainability Insider: June 2025

Sustainability Insider

30 June 2025

It may be chilly around the country, but things are heating up on the sustainability landscape! We look forward to sharing industry intel and working with you on the issues that matter most.

Industry insights

Revolutionising hard-to-recycle plastics through collaboration

APR Plastics, Aster Chemicals & Energy, Taghleef Industries Group, and ProPac Group have formed a strategic partnership to revolutionise recycling of hard to recycle, multilayer soft plastics in Australia.

By leveraging advanced recycling—pyrolysis to convert these plastics into oil, then refining via olefins into PP resin and film—they plan to produce food grade packaging material locally.

This collaboration spans the full value chain: APR conducts the pyrolysis, Aster processes the oil, and Taghleef manufactures the end-product. With potential to convert up to 3,000 tonnes of soft plastic annually, the initiative aims to close recycling loops for high performance packaging that has long lacked viable recovery options.

Read more at Packaging News >>

Unclear labelling could be costing Australian families up to $2500 every year

Research by RMIT University and End Food Waste Australia has revealed widespread confusion over ‘best-before’ and ‘use by’ labels, leading households to discard about 2 kg of food per person weekly. This confusion costs households around $2,500 each year, and contributes to the 7.6 million tonnes of food wasted in Australia annually.

Workshops with consumers, policymakers, retailers, and designers showed that current labels are unclear, especially for those with poor eyesight or English as a second language. Participants preferred labels that are visually distinct, include simple text cues like “do not eat after this date,” and use colours or QR codes to convey safety and storage information.

Experts suggest refining guidance by replacing vague storage advice with clear temperature instructions, and improving labelling clarity to reduce premature disposal, save money, and curb food waste.

CCEP launches new $75m water and energy efficient canning facility in Brisbane

CocaCola Europacific Partners Australia (CCEP) has launched a $75 million, world leading canning line in their Richlands Brisbane facility, capable of producing 120,000 cans per hour.

Flagged as the most energy- and water-efficient site in CCEP’s global network, sustainability upgrades include a reverse-osmosis system that boosts water-treatment capacity by 67%, conserving the equivalent of over three Olympic-sized swimming pools annually. A room-temperature filling process cuts energy usage by approximately 23%, while local can production reduces transport emissions and supports supply-chain resilience.

The new line underscores CCEP’s commitment to circular, low-impact manufacturing aligned with its net-zero ambitions.

Read more at Packaging News >>

ASFI releases sustainable finance taxonomy

The Australian Sustainable Finance Institute (ASFI) has released a new sustainable finance taxonomy.

The taxonomy provides a common language for green and transition finance in Australia, supporting the allocation of capital towards activities that enable Australia’s net zero ambitions.

Policy and regulation – Australia

Australia steps up to end plastic pollution

Australia has firmly backed a binding global plastics treaty, with Environment Minister Murray Watt endorsing the “Nice Wake Up Call” alongside 96 other nations at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice.

This pledge confirms Australia’s leadership in pushing for treaty talks in Geneva this August to tackle plastic pollution across the entire plastics lifecycle. The commitment signals a shift toward tighter import regulation of plastics used by major brands, addressing criticism that recycling rates have stagnated at just 12.5% and waste continues to invade coastlines and marine habitats.

It marks a step toward translating global ambition into stronger domestic action to curb plastic production, strengthen recycling systems, and protect Australia’s oceans.

Read more at Packaging News >>

New food grade recycled plastic approved for milk bottles

Australian firm Pact Group has launched rFresh 100, a food grade recycled natural HDPE resin made entirely from kerbside collected milk and juice bottles at its Laverton plant.

The HDPE undergoes sorting, shredding, washing, sanitisation, and stringent testing and meets US FDA standards (21 CFR 177.1520) for direct food contact.

Operated by Circular Plastics Australia (a Pact and Cleanaway joint venture), the FSCC 22000certified facility can process up to 20,000 tonnes of HDPE annually – the equivalent to half a billion 2L milk bottles.

Pact emphasises that using recycled resin reduces reliance on fossil fuel derived virgin plastic, lowers carbon emissions, and diverts waste from landfill—supporting a near infinite circular economy for plastic packaging. The resin will be used across Australia in milk, juice, sauce, cream, and personal care product bottles.

Grant Thorton updates climate disclosure guide

Australian audit and advisory firm Grant Thornton has updated its climate-disclosure guide to align with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s (ASIC) final Regulatory Guide RG 280, issued March 31, 2025.

The update clarifies ASIC’s definition of materiality and emphasises the urgent need for proactive preparation. Grant Thornton warns that mandatory sustainability reporting – phased in from January 2025 – will pose significant compliance challenges: firms must invest time and resources to build data systems, internal controls, and ensure board oversight and governance. They recommend businesses begin early, adopt structured processes, and strengthen data capture capabilities to meet escalating regulatory demands and avoid potential liabilities.

Policy and regulation – international

Innovation, technology and collaboration on show at IPACK-IMA

At the IPACKIMA trade show in Milan, global packaging leaders emphasised that sustainable packaging hinges on material innovation, smart technology and cross sector collaboration.

Turkey reported advances in biodegradable films, monomaterial flexible formats and “smart” packaging integrating ID codes, driven by emerging EU mandates like digital product passports. In response to the EU Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation, companies such as Kraft Heinz are shifting toward reusable systems such as refillable sauce dispensers.

In France and Belgium, consumers are increasingly drawn to emotionally resonant, ecofriendly designs and reuse schemes, while innovations such as no label, dissolvable films and combined packaging label formats are gaining traction.

Northern European representatives highlighted biobased materials, including lignin plastics and paper based bottles/caps. Experts warn against relying solely on recycling without solid lifecycle assessments.

Latin America is embracing recyclable monomaterials and smart tech (QR/NFC), aiming to improve accessibility.

Panellists urge proactive industry action—collaborating across the chain, prioritising material choice, and designing for circularity from day one.

Read more at Packaging News >>

Three quarters of British C-suite executives believe they’re ready for Scope 3 – but are they?

Edie reports that British businesses are likely underestimating the challenge of Scope 3 emissions despite executive optimism.

While 76% of Csuite leaders feel prepared to meet regulatory requirements, only 37% report sufficient investment in tracking technologies. That confidence may be misplaced – many companies concentrate on easily measurable sources like business travel and commuting, which account for just 0.1–0.2% of total Scope 3 emissions in high-impact sectors. In reality, indirect emissions spanning suppliers, product use, logistics, and end-of-life treatment, typically make up 80–97% of a firm’s carbon footprint.

Experts warn that without deeper supply chain engagement, better data transparency, and strategic investment in emissions tools, businesses will struggle to meet tightening regulations and genuine net-zero goals.

Member spotlight: Kimberly-Clark Australia

Kimberly-Clark Australia launches first electric truck in major step towards low emissions freight

Kimberly-Clark Australia (KCA) has partnered with one of Australia’s leading digital freight providers, Ofload, to launch the first electric truck in KCA’s fleet, marking a significant milestone in sustainable freight transport and underscoring our companywide commitment to reducing emissions.

This proof-of-concept initiative will test the viability, efficiency, and significant carbon reductions that electric freight can deliver.

The initiative features a Volvo FL Electric vehicle that will be integrated into key transport routes within the Brisbane metro area, demonstrating the feasibility of low-emission freight at scale.

Contact

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