AIP October 2021 eNewsletter

AIP NEWS OCTOBER 2021

AIP: PEAK PROFESSIONAL BODY FOR PACKAGING EDUCATION & TRAINING IN AUSTRALASIA

inside this issue...

Page 13

Page 19

FREE WEBINAR 18 October 2021

Corporate Partner webinar to discuss Going Beyond Life Cycle Assessment Page 5

PKN Talks... Planet Ark's involvement in Australia's circular economy with AIP Member Dr Nicole Garofano, AAIP

NEW COURSE Certified Compostable Packaging: Now & Into the Future 10 November 2021

Page 20

* = 12.5 CPP PTS

AIP Welcomes New Member: Hannah Park MAIP

AIP introduces New Training Course

22 October 2021

Page 8

AIP WEBINAR

Page 19

ECR and WPO release Packaging Design for Recycling Guide: A Global Recommendation How to rethink Food Packaging to of Circular Packaging Design create award-winning designs

NEW MEMBERS

The AIP would like to welcome the following new Members...

NAME

GRADE

STATE/COUNTRY

NAME

GRADE

STATE/COUNTRY

Ryan Anskaitis Sarah Baylis Beau Boundy Victoria Furber Harald Hendriks Matt Larkin

Associate Member Associate Associate Associate Associate

VIC New Zealand VIC NSW QLD VIC

Behannis Mena Chalas Anthony Ngo Hannah Park Brittany Puyol Mathew Radcliffe Greg Roberts

Associate Associate Associate Associate Associate Associate

VIC VIC VIC VIC VIC VIC

PROUD MEMBERS OF

Position Vacant Don: Packaging Technologist About Don Don is a division of George Weston Foods Limited (GWF) who employ more than 6,500 people across 60 sites and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Associated British Foods plc. The Don name has been synonymous with ham, bacon and smallgoods Australiawide since 1947. This recognition stems from a passion and dedication to quality, first instilled by Australian butcher R.J. Gilbertsons. Out of a small Essendon store, he began producing a range of processed meats that stayed true to the curing tradition of smallgoods found in Europe, and through this steadfast commitment to quality his business, became one of the biggest names in the Australian Food landscape, Don. About the Role: They have a new opportunity for a Packaging Technologist to join the technical team in Castlemaine.

Reporting to the Packaging Manager, this team member will be responsible for the design, development, specification and commercialisation of packaging components as agreed by the business.

Responsibilities include: • Assisting in identifying packaging NPD and cost savings opportunities.

• Work in NPD teams for product development based on aligned product briefs.

• Keep up to date with industry developments, new processes, and packaging trends to bring new ideas to the business.

• Build relationships with external suppliers to bring process learnings and problem solving to Castlemaine.

• Lead packaging development projects • Conduct factory trials, by liaising with Marketing, production, engineering, planning & quality departments.

• Provide input/recommendation into packaging related issues for the plant, and in cross functional teams, as the key packaging contact.

• Strong understanding of business imperatives and broader business context - maintains focus and alignment to Company Objectives and Company values.

About You: To be successful in the position, you will have the following attributes: • Bachelor of Science or Engineering is desired • Interpersonal and cross functional communication skills is essential.

• Demonstrated experience in a packaging development position.

• Working knowledge of ERP systems (preferably SAP) is desirable.

• Experience of the following software: CAPE, Tops, Easy Pack (palletisation) is desirable.

• Project management expertise- the ability to translate ideas into reality.

• Proven experience identifying and deploying process improvements.

• Self-motivated & ability to meet deadlines.

• Structured approach to problem solving.

• Tenacious, analytical, passionately curious, team player.

• An innovative mindset that identifies and pursues realistic opportunities within the business context.

At DON and George Weston Foods, they are an equal opportunity employer. They embrace inclusion and diversity and celebrate what makes them unique. They are committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity and the provision of a safe and healthy work environment.

PLEASE APPLY TODAY

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AIP NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

Position Vacant Staughton Group: Packaging Technologist • • •

Dynamic and fast growing Australian owned family business Great workplace culture Niche market FMCG business

Staughton Group specialises in high-quality food manufacturing, primarily in the pet food markets.

A fast growing, innovative regional organisation located on the beautiful Murray River, Staughton Group is a dynamic Australian business leading the manufacturing industry.

Started over 30 years ago, Staughton Group remains proudly family owned and operated. Their innovative business entities offer a professional, friendly, can do culture and excellent career prospects exist thanks to the rapid growth of their businesses.

Their values make them who they are: Pride, Integrity, Innovation, Tenacity and Collaboration.

The Role: Based in Howlong on the NSW/Victoria border and working in a fast paced environment, the Retail Packaging Technologist will lead all packaging projects working alongside the product development team.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work with and learn from a dynamic and forward thinking team within a vibrant industry.

You will draw on your problem solving and creative knowledge to ensure all their packaging from concept to completion meets all standards, is cost effective and delivers the best results for their products.

Current packaging formats include but are not limited to: pre-made pouches, vertical form fill seal, Ulma horizontal form fill and shrink wrapping, dog roll films, box filling and naked blocks palletised.

Duties: • Lead all packaging projects alongside the New Product Development team.

• Monitor all packaging from concept to implementation and provide evaluations to continually improve the packaging solutions.

• • • • • • • •

Work on solutions for problems in existing range to improve performance of packaging.

Work collaboratively with external parties and research current market trends to develop and implement new packaging.

Develop packaging streams that match current and future capabilities.

Consumer unit pack optimisation and ensuring final packs are suitable for on-shelf presentation and Staughton Group Factory execution.

Retail unit pack optimisation – including pallet configuration to optimise storage and freight.

Ensure opportunities for minimising the number of packaging items required for example generic/ reusable packs.

Research and provide technical advice on emerging packaging technologies and opportunities including sustainability/recyclability aspect of materials.

Work with trade partners (Private Label customers) as required on projects to deliver shared benefits through pack efficiencies.

Skills Knowledge and Experience Requirements: • Tertiary Qualified in Food Science/Technology/ Packaging/BSc Material Science Engineering or related field would be highly regarded.

• Experience in working within the FMCG market alongside internal marketing teams and brand managers preferred.

• Demonstrated experience as a Packaging Technologist across a range of packaging solutions and an array of different materials preferred however they will consider newly qualified candidates.

What they offer: • A competitive salary • Dynamic, fast moving environment • Excellent career growth and development

PLEASE APPLY TODAY

AIP NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

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GLOBAL BRANDS COMPLETE SOLUTIONS EXPERT SERVICE TOTAL CUSTOMER SUPPORT

Sales, Service and Spare Parts 1800 777 440 • www.jllennard.com.au SYDNEY • MELBOURNE • BRISBANE • AUCKLAND

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AIP NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

AIP Welcomes New Member

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e AIP would like to take this opportunity to welcome Hannah Park h MAIP, Quality Control Manager, Caspak Products to the Institute and share a little bit about who she is and what she does in the industry.

Please join with us in welcoming her to the AIP.

1. W hy did you join the AIP? What benefits do you believe the AIP offers all their members?

Hannah: The AIP has run a number of in-house training courses with Caspak. I really enjoyed them all and I wanted to learn more about packaging in the Food packaging Industry. Being a part of the AIP will develop my career and enable me the ability to upskill.

Hannah Park MAIP Quality Control Manager LUS: Caspak PProducts

2. H ow long have you been in the industry? What are your areas of expertise?

Hannah: I have been working at Caspak for 9 years in QC department. Caspak is the Flexible Packaging company in Food Industry in Melbourne.

M y strengths are: Strong communication skills, great with teamwork, 0 good time management, adaptability to both work and environment.6

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AIP NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

Scholarship plaques have finally arrived!

Australasian Bioplastics a s s o c i a t i o n

T

he ABA and AIP Scholarship winners have finally received their plaques due to lockdowns, delivery hold ups and COVID-19.

The 2021 ABA Certificate in Packaging Scholarship winner was Maria Becerril Roman AAIP.

The 2021 ABA Diploma in Packaging Technology winner was Karunia Adhiputra AAIP. The 2021 AIP Scholarship winner was Libby Treves AAIP, Packaging Technologist, Frucor Suntory New Zealand.

We are so pleased to see all of the scholarship winners with their plaques and have been advised that all three have commenced their higher education studies with the AIP.

Maria Becerril Roman AAIP Packaging Technologist Coles

Karunia Adhiputra AAIP Packaging Specialist Nestlé Australia

Libby Treves AAIP Packaging Technologist Frucor Suntory

WPO recognises the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste on 29 September

T

he World Packaging Organisation (WPO) has released a special edition of ‘World Pack Talk Show’ to discuss the observance of the ‘International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste’ on the 29 September with WPO VP for Sustainability & Save Food, Nerida Kelton.

Nerida discussed the important role that packaging plays in minimising food waste and she has provided some tips for ways to lower your environmental impact.

Please share the WPO Pack Talk Show with your colleagues to spread this important message about food waste as everyone has a role to play. https://lnkd.in/grB25YBX

AIP NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

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ECR and WPO release Packaging Design for Recycling Guide: A Global Recommendation of Circular Packaging Design

A

global Packaging Design for Recycling Guide has been developed by ECR Community, the World Packaging Organisation (WPO) and FH Campus University of Applied Sciences, Austria and is available for download.

Design for recycling is part of circular product design and represents an important basis for holistic sustainability assessment. Accordingly, circularity means that the packaging is designed in such a way that the highest possible recycling of the materials in use can be achieved. The goals here are resource conservation, the longest possible service life, materialidentical recycling (closedloop recycling) or the use of renewable materials. Circular packaging should therefore be designed and manufactured in such a way that it can be reused (reusable solution) and/or that the raw materials used can be reused to a large extent as secondary raw materials after the use phase (recycling) and/or consist of renewable raw materials.

In order to be able to apply recyclable packaging design, a certain fundamental knowledge of sorting and recycling processes is necessary. Packaging must, therefore, be suitable for state-of-the-art sorting and recycling processes in addition to its basic functions (e.g., storage, transport, product protection, product presentation and convenience).

The Packaging Design for Recycling Guide is a starting point to understand Best Practice examples using state-of-the-art technology that can then be applied and tailored to suit the recovery and recyclability capabilities and infrastructure on a regional and local level. The guide can be applied to products from the Food, Near-Food and Non-Food segments and is applicable to all primary, secondary and tertiary packaging; provided that product-specific regulations of the packaging system are observed.

According to Declan Carolan, Co-Chair, ECR Community, ‘We are delighted to support the publication of these global recommendations for circular packaging design for recycling,’ “This guide aims to promote knowledge development within the retail and Consumer Product Group (CPG) sector as companies transition to new packaging designs that help to minimise their environmental impact, while ensuring packaging remains fit for purpose and continues to look good. We recognise both the challenges and opportunities that the transition to a circular economy will bring and understand that circular packaging and supporting recycling systems are a crucial step in this process,” he said.

“As retailers and manufacturers start to publicly commit to significantly reducing their plastic packaging over the coming years, these recommendations should help to guide the conversation. The use of a straightforward traffic light system with colour coding, makes it easy to read and understand for all senior executives.

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AIP NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

ECR and WPO release Packaging Design for Recycling Guide: A Global Recommendation of Circular Packaging Design Getting buy in from across the business and from those in your supply chain is essential when making such changes.” Mr Carolan said.

Nerida Kelton, Vice President Sustainability & Save Food, World Packaging Organisation (WPO) added that ‘Some months ago, when the WPO had the idea to develop an international Circular Packaging Design Guide the project seemed an impossible pipe dream.’

“As we proudly release the first component of this guide to the world, the WPO have shown that a dream can become a reality. This resource was simply not possible without our wonderful collaborative partners who worked alongside the WPO at every stage of the project,” she said.

“The WPO sees this new resource as the first step to developing a consistent global notion of Circular Design Thinking for materials and Packaging. The next step is to encourage all of our 53 Member countries to not only use the tool but also work with the WPO to develop more localised versions that suit their countries and regions.

This is the only way to provide better quality of life, through better packaging, for more people globally.” Mrs Kelton said.

Dr. Ernst Krottendorfer, Co-Managing Partner, Circular Analytics, who was one of the key developers of this international guide, stressed that “This guideline is just the first step towards a common global understanding and harmonisation of circular packaging design.’

“Further steps will follow to either establish, or improve, harmonised collection and sorting flows for packaging in many countries through the partnership with the WPO Member countries and ECR community members. This new global guide is a successful solution that was borne from international collaborative efforts between the packaging, consumer products and retail sectors. We are proud that Packforce Austria have contributed to the creation and further development of this guideline.” Dr Krottendorfer said.

The guideline will be continuously updated and adapted to changes in collection, sorting and recycling technology, as well as to future material developments.

The Packaging Design for Recycling Guide: A Global Recommendation of Circular Packaging Design is now available on the WPO website via the https://www.worldpackaging.org/resources/41/ link

AIP NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

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AIP NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

AIP Members participate in Polyrok deep dive

A

ustralian Institute of Packaging (AIP) members recently attended a virtual deep dive Q&A session on Replas’ Polyrok innovation, moderated by Sustainable Sally.

What is Polyrok? How will it combat the soft plastics issue? How can this scalable and fit for purpose innovation change recycling and shift to a circular economy? These were just some of the questions answered by the panel during the session. Panelists included Replas’ Mark Jacobsen, Elizabeth Kasell of RED Group, Fiona Lloyd from Coles, Steve Rawson from SR Engineering, and RMIT University’s Dr. Jonathan Tran.

Polyrok is a sustainable recycled plastic aggregate that is an alternative to mineral aggregates in concrete for pathways, curves and channels that find a home for the soft plastics waste stream.

State-of-the-art technology allows Replas to use post-consumer soft plastics that are recovered from the REDcycle program in Coles and Woolworths.

“Fit for purpose, strong and durable, recyclable concrete from Replas is the new way forward in concrete innovation,” said Sustainable Sally.

The session saw the experts discuss the beneficial properties of cement and plastics, independent testing conducted at RMIT University, the partnership with RED Group, and the successful installations of Polyrok

by Coles and local councils.

In terms of recovery volumes, Liz Kazell said: “At this stage, we’ve got Australians dropping off over two million pieces of soft plastic packaging every day through a network of bins. The level of participation and engagement has been absolutely overwhelming.”

“But of course, recycling can’t work unless there’s a recycled content product for the material to be turned into, which is why Polyrok has been such a vital and important piece of the puzzle.”

“I think we can take a lot of this problematic post-consumer plastic and the consumers want to know the story and want to know where it goes – culture cannot change unless you can see the end in mind,” said Jacobsen,

adding that the two million pieces of plastic per day currently going back, is proof of the growing public engagement and circular economy at work.

“It’s about scalability, and through the education piece, and with all partnerships in place we can help to educate people better, as then they will be able to make more informed decisions," he said.

“The circular economy case is huge for Coles, so to find an end of life solution to some of these problematic soft plastics was an enormous thing for us,” said Lloyd.

"Polyrok is really showing us all how we can use it."

“Our construction projects are ongoing and we continue to build new stores and refurbish them, so wherever we can see that opportunity to include Polyrok in, we will.”

Regarding RMIT's role in the collaboration, Tran said: ”We conducted testing against the product to standard, and found that it had unique features to assist with the bonding of the concrete."

In terms of whether Polyrok could release microplastics into the environment, causing more harm, Rawson said absolutely not.

“Polyrok is a course aggregrate, so it is bound and encapsulated within the mass of the concrete, so not exposed to the environment,” said Rawson, adding that concrete is a perfect storage space for plastic as it it provides oxygen and a UV-free environment.

Most recently, Replas has just received a $3 million federal grant to go towards the manufacturing of Polyrok. http://www.packagingnews.com.au/sustainability/ aip-members-participate-in-polyrok-deep-dive?

(l-r) Dr. Jonathan Tran, Steve Rawson, Mark Jacobsen, Elizabeth Kasell and Fiona Lloyd.

This article was published with permission by PKN Packaging News.

AIP NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

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AIP NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

PLAY PKN PLAY PKN podcast with AIP Member Dr Nicole Garofano, AAIP. In this episode, Lindy Hughson, managing editor & publisher of PKN Packaging News, talks with Dr Nicole Garofano AAIP , head of circular economy development at Planet Ark, about her career, Planet Ark's involvement in Australia's circular economy and more.

They review the activity in Australia to align with the circular economy's core principles and the government policies that can facilitate increased involvement in the circular economy.

This includes Planet Ark's involvement with the Australasian Recycling Label project by providing community education and the development of a coffee capsule product stewardship scheme for all coffee capsules available on the domestic market.

They wrap the episode with Nicole's representation of the AIP on the ANZPAC Plastics Pact collection action group and her views on the work ahead to achieve a circular economy in Australia. https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=911451

AIP NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

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Label sustainability in the limelight at AIP webinar

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nterest in the sustainability of labels and the printing and converting processes that produce them is clearly high, judging by the well attended webinar on the topic hosted yesterday by the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP).

Over 150 participants from around the globe tuned in to discover more about 'Sustainable Label Materials, Inks & Coatings and Machinery used in Printing' and the current state of play in Australia and New Zealand.

Industry experts Michael Dossor, MAIP group general manager, Result Group; Mark Daws, MAIP director – Labels & Packaging ANZ, Currie Group; and Brad Wheeler, ANZ technical manager, DIC Australia presented their insights and expertise on their respective areas of speciality.

Dossor kicked off by discussing the APCO waste hierarchy and provided examples of how the 5Rs (reuse, reduce, renew, recycle, redesign) can be achieved in the industry, and honed in on the opportunity to reduce packaging using linerless labels.

Benefits of linerless labels, Dossor said, include zero liner waste to landfill, reduction in material usage, reduction in carbon emissions in label production, and saving on shipping, storage and production costs.

He noted there has been a strong uptake of linerless labels in the protein market (for example on fresh meat packaging), and to a growing extent in fresh produce.

Looking at the move to reuse or renew self-adhesive label liner waste, Dossor spoke of current schemes to convert glassine liner waste into insulation material for building, and recycling backing liner into paper-pulp to create paper products, including more backing liner.

On the subject of renewable materials in labels, he gave examples of facestocks comprised of rPE and rPP, facestock made from recycled paper, and cited a wine label on the Australian market made from 30 per cent grass content.

In terms of packaging sustainability that could be achieved via labelling, Dossor highlighted the evolution of compostable labels used for traditional, thermal and fresh produce labelling but cautioned that mandates are in place offshore regarding sustainability certifications for fruit labelling, and are deadlined for January 2022.

APCO waste hierarchy

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AIP NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

Clockwise from left: Brad Wheeler, DIC; Ralph Moyle (AIP moderator); Michael Dossor, Result Group; Mark Daws, Currie Group.

He said that a big issue to be taken into account was the compatibility of a label with the recycling system.

“If we can get the label off the product, we can increase the value of the recycled product and sell the base material,” he said, anticipating that there will be a lot of work in this space in the future.

“This market has the potential to evolve rapidly but will require collaboration between brand owner, material supplier and printer; and ultimately the recycling industry.

If we get it right, we can gain local benefits and achieve our sustainability objectives very quickly,” he advised.

According to Dossor, another label product swiftly gaining momentum in markets outside of Australia, and starting up locally, is the wash off adhesive, widely used on fresh produce crates which often contain labels that won’t wash off.

In closing, Dossor said that “simple design changes amount to major benefits” and left attendees with three points to ponder – (1) the importance of matching the label stock to the application substrate; (2) label separation and recycling improves the purity of the recycling material; and (3) increased efficiency in recycling can ultimately reduce costs of recycled content materials.

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY Mark Daws' discussion examined the factors and drivers that determine sustainability, outlined materials and technology currently available, and explored opportunities for printers and converters to grow and educate themselves in the sustainability arena.

Commencing his session by highlighting the benefits of sustainability for people, profit and planet, he went on to summarise the key drivers of consumers, brands and governments that are currently increasing demand for sustainable packaging. He noted that these drivers of sustainable packaging are pushing converters to provide solutions for their customers, and that demanding requirements and new legislation forces print service providers to embrace this change or be left behind.

Label sustainability in the limelight at AIP webinar After elaborating on the factors that determine the sustainability of a package, Daws highlighted various sustainable solutions on offer in the printing and technology arena. These included advancements in inks (water-based and UV curable), servo driven technology (for automatic colour registration pressure control) to reduce printing waste, and hot drying systems for energy efficiency.

The benefits of flexographic printing machines that can better handle thinner, more sustainable materials was also highlighted, with Daws pointing out the importance of digital printing in almost every label converter’s business.

According to Daws, digital printing offers tremendous benefits from an environmental standpoint, as it phases out big print runs from the supply chain and provides users with the ability to print on demand and do quick revisions.

“In terms of its actual production, [digital printing] doesn't require huge amounts of tooling plates, cylinders, or prepress capability technology. It’s very, very quick, provides electronic file to output and the final preparation involves zero waste,” he said.

With regard to the benefits of digital printing on transportation costs, Daws said that there is an increasing number of major global brand owners using digital technology for their label printing, which allows them to print consistent products of the same quality in various locations around the world, rather than one central point, saving the costs of shipping to various locations.

Moving on to pose the question as to what converters can do to play a role in the sustainability space, Daws discussed Currie Group’s work with Close the Loop, which was first introduced in Australia and NZ in 2019 but is now worldwide. The initiative offers sustainable recovery solutions to customers using HP Indigo digital presses, helping to lower the environmental impact of commercial printing and minimise the waste of ink and toners that end up in landfill.

Daws related that through Close the Loop, up until the third quarter of this year, over 61 tonnes of landfill was recovered.

Currie Group's Mark Daws covered the factors that determined the sustainability of a package.

Ways that DIC's products adhere to the 5R framework

On a final note, Daws suggested that improved industry collaboration for all parts of the supply chain would be beneficial, going forward.

“I think we need to really define some easy to read literature to help our customers. A lot of small to medium label printing business systems simply don't have the time or the resources to navigate their way through what can be quite onerous information, and we need to help them in some shape or form,” he said.

INKS & COATINGS Brad Wheeler's session focused on the considerations involved by DIC Australia in shifting from a linear (takemake-dispose) to a circular economy model (makeuse-recycle) via the operations and products involved in carrying out the 5R sustainabilty framework. Within this context, he discussed the implications of life cycle analysis, packaging costs, food safety and policy.

Wheeler elaborated on DIC's operations within the 5R sustainabilty framework, confirming that energy recovery was being made from waste, waste was minimised, energy and emissions reduced, energy renewable tactics employed, solvent and raw material recovery systems underway, and automation processes optimised.

He then took attendees through a series of slides, detailing the many ways in which DIC's products adhered to the 5R framework. For example, the company's continued and increasing use of recycled materials products (reuse); methods enabling customers to use less energy or materials (reduce); moving from fossilbased to increasing levels of plant-based raw materials from sustainable farm sources (renew); de-inking paper and plastics (recover) and looking at ways of matching solvent-based technologies more efficiently (redesign).

The chat room lit up with questions during the webinar, but time ran out for Q&A, so the AIP has undertaken to follow up with answers to the questions.

Given the high level of interest and audience engagement, it's likely that this topic will become a regular on the AIP education calendar. http://www.packagingnews.com.au/latest/labelsustainability-in-the-limelight-at-aip-webinar

This article was published with permission by PKN Packaging News.

AIP NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

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RESULT and EVRYTHNG Appointed Technology Providers to Advance Table Grapes Traceability

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he Australian Table Grape Association (ATGA) has secured a major innovative project to strengthen table grape traceability for high-value export markets.

ATGA and Agriculture Victoria will partner to lead the $650,000 project, funded by the Victorian Government from its Food to Market program.

The pilot – which commenced in June 2021 – will run for the duration of the 2021/22 table grape harvest season, and aims to build, diversify and protect exports by developing producer-toconsumer traceability.

Australia’s table grapes are the nation’s largest fresh horticulture export, valued at $800 million in total, with $623 million export product. Ninety per cent of Australia’s table grape exports are generated

by Victorian producers and exporters, for a value of $562 million across 152,000 tonnes of table grape exports.

Table grape producers and exporters have a responsibility to maintain and elevate standards of safety and quality for consumers, to bolster export capacity in a changing global market.

Implementing new traceability systems, including labelling and integration with cool chain tracking, will help leverage the value of Australian export brands, previously impeded at times by limited product and cool chain traceability as fruit enters export countries.

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AIP NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

Victorian Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas said “the Food to Market program is an excellent example of how we are providing timely support to agribusinesses impacted by the pandemic, while capitalising on opportunities to expand into new markets over the longer term.”

ATGA CEO Jeff Scott welcomed the pilot project, and said traceability was pivotal to reinforcing competitiveness in international markets. “It is important that all growers embrace traceability of their product to ensure the link from the grower to the consumer gives confidence all the way through the supply chain of a high quality product and food safety,” Mr Scott said.

Fruit Master, a large Australian producer and exporter, will apply leading traceability technology and cool chain tracking to premium fruit brands and varieties across table grape exports this upcoming season.

Fruit Master export sales manager Christian Jones said Fruit Master growers invest significant time and money into developing premium products, and that utilising technologies which highlight that quality to their customers would be a vital step forward for industry.

“Traceability works as an extension of 12 months of hard work,” Mr Jones said.

“Continuing to evolve this link enhances the supply chain and brings the consumer’s experience closer to the source."

RESULT and EVRYTHNG Appointed Technology Providers to Advance Table Grapes Traceability Technology provider Result Group will apply unique serialised GS1 Digital Link-enabled QR code labels to export table grapes, allowing the automated collection of data from farm and supply chain, which can be shared with consumers to authenticate the food’s precise origin and engage with the brand through an open platform smartphone scan.

The Active Digital Identity™ embedded in the QR code labels ensures each one is unique and traceable – an important innovation in combatting all manner of food fraud. Labels will also carry critical international traceability data, based on GS1 current standards, covering consumer pack units, cases and pallet codes, as well as time and temperature logging, which will be captured through the EVRYTHNG Product Cloud® database.

Result Group general manager Michael Dossor said they were “beyond excited and proud” to be the traceability technology provider for the program.

“We have assembled the world’s best technology and, with local talent, adapted it to make it right for the Australian produce sector.”

Result Group’s partner EVRYTHNG Senior Vice President, Simon Jones said “the most exciting thing we see with this program, is how the whole industry can immediately benefit from it. Working with Result Group, we have configured technology and software already proven worldwide, to meet the particular needs of the table grapes sector, so this is now plug & play for producers from here on.”

Consumers the world over are seeking transparency, while brands are seeking visibility into the journey of individual products from farm through supply chains to consumption.

GS1 traceability standards will be incorporated into the pilot, enhancing the international compatibility of these supply chains for global exports. Specifically, GS1 Digital Link will be used as the basis of all supply chain and consumer interactions.

GS1 Australia chief customer officer Marcel Sieira said GS1 was pleased to support traceability projects through advice on GS1 standards and labelling options.

“GS1 standards enable organisations to identify, capture and share information smoothly, creating a common language that underpins systems and processes all over the world,” Mr Sieira said.

The pilot project will run for the duration of the 2021/22 export season and conclude in January 2023.

The Victorian Government’s Food to Market program, announced in March 2021, is a $15 million commitment to invest in the state’s agri-food supply chain.

AIP NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

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AIP NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

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Up-Coming Virtual Courses, Webinars & Tradeshows Please note that 2021 AIP events will be held as virtual programs

OCTOBER 2021 Discussing Going Beyond Life Cycle Assessment: Webinar WHEN: 18 October 2021 WHAT: The AIP is inviting all of industry to attend a free webinar with Corporate Partner Trayak, to discuss Life Cycle Assessment tools and measurement on the 18th of October at 10.00 am (AEDT).

Trayak is powered by COMPASS, a tool that was developed by the Sustainable Packaging *=1 Coalition (SPC). It was created in a collaborative process with packaging experts, CPP PT stakeholders, life cycle assessment professionals and academia.

Streamlined Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a great first step in a company’s sustainability journey, but oftentimes tracking a broader set of metrics will give you a more complete picture.

This webinar will discuss the sustainability platform EcoImpact-COMPASS and SCORE and help you to conduct life cycle assessments. The Trayak team will help guide you to better understand how to incorporate additional attributes, using SCORE, to track operational requirements alongside sustainability attributes including damage rate, circularity, and packaging to product weight.

Find out more about why Life Cycle Assessment can become an invaluable tool in your sustainability practices.

2021 AIFST Convention: VIRTUAL WHEN: 11, 12, 19 & 21 October 2021 WHERE: Online WHAT: Over four days, AIFST21 will feature more than 60 speakers drawn from diverse backgrounds in food science & technology, microbiology, nutrition, consumer science, research and engineering.

DAY 1: Delivery Food Safety

DAY 2: Health, Nutrition & Consumer Science

DAY 3: Innovation & Future Food Production & Processing Systems

DAY 4: Sustainability, Resilience & Food Security in a Changing World

How to rethink Food Packaging to create award-winning designs: Webinar WHEN: 22 October 2021 WHAT: T he Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) are hosting a session with AIFST to showcase three innovative and intuitive packaging solutions that recently won PIDA awards. Simplot, Brookfarm and Pana Organic all have one thing in common…they are leading the way in developing sustainable and circular packaging designs that lower environmental impacts.

This interactive session will have a panel discussion moderated by Barry 11, October McGookin where we will deep dive and invite attendees to ask lots of questions.

2021 AIFST VIRTUAL CONVENTION

SPEAKERS: + Tom Hilder Product Designer Detpack Jigisha Trivedi MAIP Packaging Technologist Simplot Australia

* = 1.5

12, 19 & 21 2021CPP | 9PTS AM - 5 P M |

G R O W L EA R N C O N NE CT C H AM P I O N

Sally Carter Head of Operations & Procurement Brookfarm

Jessica Ansell AAIP Marketing Manager O F Packaging

Nicholas Payne MAIP Business Development & Marketing Manager Zipform Packaging

AIP NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

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Up-Coming Virtual Courses, Webinars & Tradeshows Please note that 2021 AIP events will be held as virtual programs

NOVEMBER 2021 Certified Compostable Packaging: Now & Into the Future: VIRTUAL

NEW COURSE

WHEN: 10 November 2021 * = 12.5 WHERE: Via Zoom CPP PTS WHAT: How do you select the right package to brand and protect your product, deliver it right through to your consumer, and then enable the package to be beneficially recovered? Increasingly your choice here might include a compostable pack.

Compostable packaging is a potential solution to meet aspects of the Australian 2025 National Packaging Targets, so it is vital that it is considered together with the other desirable outcomes – reusability and recyclability, as our overall aim is to achieve greater circularity for packaging. Selecting the wrong pack, or not considering all aspects, can cause major issues downstream at the package recovery phase.

This course will provide some insights to explore the decision-making process, to firstly confirm that compostable packaging is the right format for the product and if so, assist in the appropriate selection. Then we will gain an understanding of the necessary consumer actions and infrastructure, that is essential to ensure compostable packaging can be recovered once discarded, so that it has a positive environmental impact in its various end uses.

OBJECTIVES:

• Let’s start with 'why'? Have we firstly taken steps to reduce the packaging, then considered re-use options? Can recycling provide circularity? Compostable packaging needs to be assessed as part of the whole waste hierarchy.

• Gain an understanding of how to define compostable packaging and the importance of the Australasian Bioplastics Association (ABA) verification program for certifications - AS4736 and AS5810, for plastic packaging.

• Learn why terms like degradable and biodegradable, without reference to certifications, are meaningless and must be avoided.

• Consider that all components of a compostable package need to be compostable, e.g. inks/coatings.

• Get the background on why oxy-degradable/fragmentable plastics will be phased out.

• Understand the importance of ABA logos on-pack to guide consumer awareness of the correct disposal method.

• Gain awareness of why not all bioplastics, e.g. plastics from renewable resources are compostable.

• Explore what happens to compostable packaging and the processes used in Commercial Composting, whether it arrives via a kerbside Food Organics/Garden Organics (FOGO) bin, or from food service.

• Get a snap shot of some of the certified compostable packaging available today and ways that it may shape the future.

LECTURER: SUPPORTED BY Dr Carol Kilcullen-Lawrence FAIP, CPP Education Team Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP)

NOVEMBER 2021

MOVED TO 2023 Interpack WHEN: May 2023 WHERE: Dusseldorf, Germany WHAT: Interpack is far more than just a packaging show.

As the world's leading trade fair, it is the major inspiration for the packaging industry and all related process technologies.

2 ,700 exhibitors from more than 60 countries will present their latest ideas, innovate concepts and technological visions at interpack - not only in equipment and machinery for packaging and processing, but also in production tools for packaging materials, materials themselves, and services for the entire industry.

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AIP NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

Up-Coming Virtual Courses, Webinars & Tradeshows

Collective Impact Summit & APCO Annual Awards Please note that 2021 AIP events will be held as virtual programs

18 November 2021

The inaugural Collective Impact Summit will assess the current progress towards the 2025 Targets and explore the opportunities and barriers on the pathway towards achieving a circular economy for packaging.

Registrations opening soon.

Head to www.apco.org.au to find out more.

AIP NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

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How SMEs can help accelerate Australia’s transition to a circular economy for packaging

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s industry and government work together to accelerate Australia’s transition to a circular economy for packaging, small-to-medium enterprises (SME) also play a key role in helping the nation reach the 2025 National Packaging Targets. With growing consumer demand for sustainable practices, small business is no exception, with consumers increasingly supporting brands that have made environmentally friendly choices when it comes to their packaging.

It has also become apparent that making these changes to your packaging not only benefits the environment but brings tangible benefits to your business, including efficiencies, business growth, attracting new customers and improved customer loyalty.

However, like any improvement, time is at a premium, especially for small businesses.

Improved reporting processes The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) understands time is a valuable resource to all businesses, particularly SMEs, which was a key driver for them in streamlining their reporting processes for this group earlier this year.

APCO’s CEO Brooke Donnelly, says: “We wanted to better support and empower small businesses to fulfill their responsibilities so they could drive added value to their business through sustainable packaging practices.”

The new reporting process has gone from over 50 possible questions to a targeted 15 questions, all of which drive real sustainability value for SMEs. It is estimated this will reduce the time required to complete the reporting task by up to 80%.

APCO has also streamlined its entire annual reporting process, making it easier and more efficient for existing and new APCO Members to complete.

These changes have kick started a critical conversation about the important role of SMEs in the collective approach with industry and government in helping Australia to reach the 2025 National Packaging Targets and what that can look like as we move forward.

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Good for the environment and good for business As many AIP members will know, when businesses get sustainable packaging right their customers take notice, and it quickly sets them apart from their competitors. As the industry works towards achieving the 2025 National Packaging Targets, it’s critical small businesses step up and play their part.

However, knowing where to begin to improve the sustainability of your packaging can be daunting.

Joining the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) Program is a good place to start.

The ARL helps cut through the confusion, providing a simple pathway for business owners to understand if their packaging is having a harmful impact on the environment.

The evidence-based program provides all of the tools and resources required for a business owner to: 1. A ssess the recyclability of their product packaging: • Accurately assess whether your product packaging belongs in the waste or the recycling bins.

• You can determine this by completing an assessment using the Packaging Recyclability Evaluation Portal online tool, which assesses packaging recyclability in the Australian and New Zealand recovery systems.

2. Apply the label: • Apply an accurate recycling label to your packaging with clear and simple instructions about how to dispose of the separable packaging components, ensuring customers know how to dispose of your packaging correctly.

•

T here are three classifications of recyclability under the ARL:

How SMEs can help accelerate Australia’s transition to a circular economy for packaging 3. Educate and inform your customers: • •

ommunicate with customers about how to C recycle packaging using the label. ain access to a range of resources designed to G educate consumers on crucial environmental behaviours, including to look for the ARL on packaging every time they are at the bin.

•

hase out problematic and unnecessary single use P plastics.

•

U se packaging that contains recycled material.

•

ork with your wider supply chain to understand W the impact of your packaging across its whole lifecycle.

•

R eview your packaging against the Sustainable Packaging Guidelines to implement the ten principles that drive sustainable packaging.

•

ut sustainability on the agenda – the reality is P that consumers care about sustainability with a growing expectation that businesses are working to improve the sustainability of their operations, including the packaging they use.

What other steps can small business take?

Aside from joining the ARL Program, there are a range of practical actions a business of any size can take to make their packaging more sustainable: •

ssess your packaging to understand whether it’s A possible to transition to reusable packaging that consumers can simply refill with your product.

•

I dentify and work with suppliers that use materials that can be recycled to drive valuable end markets for packaging materials.

For more information on the Australasian Recycling Label and how APCO supports SMEs to drive added value to their business through sustainable packaging practices, head to www.apco.org.au

AIP NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

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AIP NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

60 WOMEN IN PACKAGING

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| September-October 2021

Diversity: Time for change Gender diversity in the packaging industry, and empowerment within that arena, led the discussion at the 2021 Women in Packaging forum. Colleen Bate reports.

W

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

HAT can I ask?, What can I

do?, What can I change?, were three questions put to pa rticipa nts by keynote speaker Louise Weine at the fourth Women in Packaging event, held in August.

Presented by PKN Packaging News and Food & Drink Business, hosted in partnership with the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) as part of the 2021 AIP Australasian Packaging Conference, Women in Packaging drew its national audience into a virtual event for the second year running due to the pandemic restrictions.

Weine, CEO of the National Association of Women in Operations (NAWO), inspired participants to ask those three questions with the knowledge that greater gender diversity in the workplace is proven to improve businesses performance.

“Research has revealed that companies with higher diversity in management gained 38 per cent more of their revenue from innovative products and services than those companies with lower diversity,” Weine said.

“Diversity is a key ingredient for better decision-making,” she said.

“Diverse teams can leverage a greater variety of perspectives and are likely to consider information more thoroughly and accurately.

“And mixed gender teams can better manage group conflict compared to homogenous teams, and better maximise creativity amongst those team members,” she said, adding that company profit and shared performance is almost 50 per cent higher when women are well represented in senior positions.

Weine cited data to indicate Australian businesses are not leveraging this opportunity and went on to challenge leaders with a call to action, asking them to consider how

gender balanced we, as an industry, are overall.

WGEA data shows female representation in Australian businesses is sitting at 51 per cent, and 33 per cent of key management positions are held by women, but there is still a total remuneration pay gap of 20 per cent across the board in Australia.

Weine delved into how the manufacturing sector is performing in terms of gender diversity and extrapolated relevant indicators to the packaging industry. She strongly advised immediate and positive action to speed up change.

In manufacturing, there is a 12 per cent pay gap; there has only been a one per cent increase in the number of women in the industry in six years to 27 per cent; 52.4 per cent of business in all industries provide paid caring support (such as parental leave) to their staff – in manufacturing this sits at 37.1 per cent; 32 per cent of incoming employees are female and 30.3 per cent of those going out the door are female; only 5.2

ABOVE: Influential proponent of diversity and its value in the workplace: Louise Weine, keynote speaker at Women in Packaging 2021.

per cent of positions are offered part time; and part time positions make up only 5.3 per cent of promotions.

“Over this period, we have seen a 7.2 per cent increase and 23 per cent in key management positions in manufacturing, so there is some good work going on,” said Weine, “But, you know, there’s a lot more to be done here, for this pipeline to be much stronger.

“It’s a complex problem and I often describe it as an onion where you just keep unravelling all the layers and then find another thing to resolve.

“That doesn’t mean it’s out of our control to solve it, it just means that we have to work across multiple levels and layers in order to get things to change,” she said.

Weine went on to discuss outdated terms such as ‘maternity’ or ‘paternity’ leave and pointed out the need to change antiquated legalities on employment contracts, succession planning and retirement that no longer serve.

Exclusion in workplaces was also a hot topic, and Weine sent out a challenge to break from being attracted to ‘sameness’ and to become ‘comfortably uncomfortable.’

“Step into the discomfort, ask yourself if you are looking for cultural fit rather than cultural add.

There are tough conversations that need unwavering leadership and commitment to change,” she said.

Admitting that we have a long way to go, she nevertheless encouraged people to move from accepting complacency and to say “that’s just not good enough”.

In closing, Weine challenged the audience to initiate their own circle of influence and control by examining what they can do, ask, and ultimately, change. ■ The Women in Packaging 2021 forum was sponsored by tna Solutions.

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62 WOMEN IN PACKAGING

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| September-October 2021

Taking the initiative BROUGHT TO YOU BY

from designs, pre-press, production manufacturing to the different types of materials… it’s just endless,” she said.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ROLE MODELS

Persistence prevails when all else fails, and being the change you want to see, were key takeouts of this year’s Women in Packaging Next Gen Leadership panel. Varun Bodhi reports.

T

HE four panellists – Azadeh Yousefi, Jessica Ansell, Caitlyn Richards and Nina Nguyen – were all finalists in this year’s Young Packaging Professional of the Year Awards, and are currently engaged in the fields of design, marketing, packaging sourcing and business ownership respectively.

PERSISTENCE PAYS The theme of persistence has been central to Azadeh Yousefi’s career, which began in Iran where she struggled to get a foothold in the packaging industry.

“I studied industrial design at university and through that I learnt the essence of packaging.

“I couldn’t get a job in the packaging industry because it is male dominated,” said Yousefi.

After completing her masters, she became a lecturer at the Tehran University of Art. Searching for ways to work on packaging, she discovered the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP)’s Master of Food and Packaging

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Innovation with University of Melbourne and made the decision to relocate and forge her career.

Now a packaging designer with Production Packaging Innovations, Yousefi said it has been people’s generosity wit h sha ring t heir knowledge and their willingness to give her opportunities that helped her make her way and that she is so grateful for.

BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE For Pakko founder and CEO Nina Nguyen, the box life chose her.

When Nguyen’s parents asked her for help on resolving structural problems with the boxes their produce was transported in, it was the beginning of a packaging passion. Frustrated with packaging she imported, Nguyen decided to take on the design herself and founded a cardboard packaging converting company called Pakko, of which she is now CEO. “I guess the box life chose me and I fell for it – what I love about this industry is there’s so much to learn

AIP NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2021

ABOVE: The inpsirational Women in Packaging’s Next Gen Leadership panel (clockwise from left): Azadeh Yousefi, packaging designer, Production Packaging; Nina Ngyuyen, CEO, Pakko; Caitlyn Richards, group responsible sourcing manager, Coles; Jessica Ansell, marketing manager, O F Packaging.

O F Packaging marketing manager Jessica Ansell came from a background of history and ancient world studies, stumbling into the industry after additional studies in marketing and communications.

Joining O F Packaging with little experience, Ansell said having a strong supportive role model in colleague Hannah Fyson helped her acquire skills and increase her confidence.

“My colleague Hannah took me under her wing and answered all of my questions every day.

“Coming into an industry that you may not have had much experience in, having a team willing to share knowledge, allow you to make mistakes, and give you opportunities makes all the difference,” Ansell said.

LEAN ON YOUR NETWORK In her role as Coles’ group responsible sourcing manager, Caitlyn Richards works every day on increasing the sustainable packaging share within the retailer and its own brand supply base.

Working at a large organisation presents its own challenges and benefits, Richards said, noting she learns something new every day and that should be the case no matter how long you have been in the industry.

“Don’t be afraid to acknowledge when you need some help or support, whether that’s internally or externally, and get to know the people you work with,” she said. “I definitely encourage people to network, and particularly women, who might be less inclined to do so, thinking they don't want to take up someone’s time.

I find most people want to be supportive and helpful,” she said. ■

September-October 2021

| www.packagingnews.com.au

| AIP CONFERENCE REVIEW

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Eco-design to the fore Sustainability was the key theme at this year’s AIP Australasian Packaging virtual conference, as brand owners and packaging professionals took attendees through the technical and creative processes of packaging design. PKN reports.

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HE conference, held over 17 and

18 August, saw leading experts gather to share their insights and innovations, and provide delegates with the opportunity to be inspired by the developments in key industries and markets. Themed around ‘rethinking packaging design’, the sessions also provided a platform to showcase best-practice and award-winning packaging designs, recognised through the Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards.

FOOD-SAVING PACKAGING Food waste equates to a staggering 7.3 million tonnes of food a year, a discussion that provided a compelling kickstart to the conference as Edgell, Southern Fresh Foods, Junee Lamb and Brookfarm brand owners demonstrated how tenacity and creativity were key drivers to designing packaging to reduce food waste, meet sustainability targets and satisfy consumer expectations.

Simplot packaging technologist Michael Van Dord shared the astounding statistic that Covid-19

saw an uptick in consumer spending on home delivery by 258 per cent.

Perhaps not surprising was the fact 50 per cent of those orders included chips. Simplot’s brand Edgell was faced with the biggest of challenges – a package that would keep chips crispy for up to 40 minutes.

After around 50 prototypes, its sustainable pack with a raised and ventilated floor entered the market.

While the pandemic saw the growth of home delivery, it caused a major business headache for fresh produce company, Southern Fresh Foods. It was growing 27 different products and supplying 30 tonnes of salad to the restaurant market, which essentially dried up in an instant.

The company enlisted NAVI Co Global to help it repurpose its fresh produce destined for hospitality to a retail product.

NAVI Co managing director Gilad Sadan said it was a great project, delivered under pressure in the delta of food waste, packaging waste and food safety requirements and expectations.

Edgell’s sustainable pack keeps chips crispy for up to 40 minutes.

The resultant pack design made the produce clearly visible in packaging that was recyclable and extended shelf life, with a cardboard sleeve that featured a recipe.

Meanwhile, Junee Lamb was looking for a solution to its vacuum seal packaging that was not robust enough to cope with sharp bones and rough transit. Working with Sealed Air, its Cryovac brand Total Bone Guard delivered a solution that not only reduced stock loss but met many of the targets now implicit on the packaging industry.

Premium cereal and snack company Brookfarm has had sustainability at its core since it began more than 20 years ago and recently partnered with O F Packaging to redesign its cereal pack.

The shift from a metallised multilaminate structure to a high-barrier mono-polymer pouch that can be recycled through kerbside earned Brookfarm the 2021 Packaging Innovation & Design Awards Gold for Food Packaging Design of the Year.

CPP

CERTIFIED PACKAGING PROFESSIONAL

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64 AIP CONFERENCE REVIEW

BRAND MESSAGING VIA PACK DESIGN Nestle, Lovekins and Cutri Fruit brand owners turned to packaging as a driver for messaging, using components such as renewable materials, onpack interactive consumer engagement, and in some cases, changing the brand of a pack to push emphasise its recyclability.

On its journey to find a sustainable alternative for its packaging, Lovekins, specialists in baby and feminine hygiene and home care, moved over to Impact International’s FDA-approved SARAH tube, protected with internationally registered anti-counterfeiting measures.

The company also undertook a pack redesign, changing to a clean white matte tube to signify the purity of a

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newborn child, and contrasted it with the black text and cap to represent the Indigenous Australian culture.

“We encourage brands to think about how you are making your packaging, to make it with minimal footprint, make it so it is recyclable, but also to make sure to communicate the circularity of its products to customers,” said Aleks Lajovic, managing director at Impact International.

Nestlé redesigned the KitKat wrappers of its ‘Give the planet a break’ campaign by replacing the cute cat logo and snapping finger with a recycling logo in the shape of a KitKat snapping finger.

A QR code is on the back of the pack, which when activated, provides details on soft plastics, recycling protocol, REDcycle locations and explains what happens to plastic after the recycling process.

LEFT: Nestle’s new KitKat wrappers promote its recyclability BELOW: The Collective introduced rPET packaging to its kefir probiotic yoghurt OPPOSITE: MaCher’s FlexiHex is made from recycled paper and FSC certified materials (featured on page 66).

| September-October 2021

Premium quality stone fruit grower Cutri Fruit created an intuitive and interactive pack for its Galaxy Fruits range in partnership with NAVI Co Global, and incorporated pop-out collectable colouring-in figurines for repeated use and to bump up the sustainability of its packaging.

THE VALUE OF RECYCLED CONTENT Pact Packaging NZ’s client The Collective, Colgate-Palmolive and Wellman Packaging discussed the important role recycled content plays in ensuring a business is meeting the 2025 National Packaging Targets and becoming a truly circular business by design.

Deanne Holdsworth, general manager, sales for Pact Packaging in New Zealand, highlighted the journey taken by brand owner The Collective to introduce recycled plastic (rPET) packaging to its kefir probiotic yoghurt, maximising its sustainability outcome, while maintaining the structural integrity with a lighter weight pack. Additionally, every bottle of kefir probiotic yoghurt purchased contributes to charity Trees that Count.

Ted Bailey, packaging sustainability manager, Asia Pacific, ColgatePalmolive began his session by confirming the company’s intention to include at least 25 per cent of postconsumer recycled (PCR) plastics in its plastics products. He also discussed a recent initiative by the company – Australia’s first recyclable HDPE toothpaste tube as well as its relationships with Ellen MacArthur and Wellman Packaging; and the impact of Covid on the industry’s supply chain.

Read more f rom Wellman Packaging in the article on page 16.

PIVOTING FROM PACKAGING NORMS Reflo, Cyclpac, MaCher and Coles discussed “rethink packaging design”, as each company moves away from the norms and changing

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September-October 2021

| www.packagingnews.com.au

materials to become more circular and sustainable.

Reflo, recognised for its Podpress in both the Beverage and Sustainable Reuse Packaging categories at the Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design Awards (PIDAs), is all about simplifying the flow of processes, and it aims to continue that with its Podpress product.

The Podpress reusable capsules are moulded in food-safe polypropylene. A multi-capsule filling table enables rapid filling and tamping down of coffee in the capsules, and Podpress can seal nine capsules in a matter of minutes.

Gary White, director of Reflo, says Podpress delivers big cost savings in capsules, while also being environmentally responsible because it prevents capsules entering the waste stream.

Cyclepac designed Melbourne Coffee from the ground-up, for which it was recognised for at the PIDAs, and went with a ‘four seasons in one day theme’ to capture the feel of the City of Melbourne.

Cyclepac had set itself some objectives to achieve – 90 per cent single polymer composition was the standard that it was aiming for, which fits the European standard, and sits slightly higher than standards in Australia.

| AIP CONFERENCE REVIEW

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According to the company, its commercially viable solution provides barrier to vapour and gas, is heat resistant, is easily printable, and is up to 70 per cent easier to recycle.

With this alternative to conventional mixed laminate structure, there is also no increase in packaging weight, with potential to reduce in line with packaging format changes, and delivers no compromise to running speeds once set up.

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66 AIP CONFERENCE REVIEW

“Reducing food waste is a massive consideration when we talk about packaging, and it plays a critical role in sustainability goals if we can limit and reduce food waste,” said Edward Whitehead, co-founder and managing director of Cyclepac.

“And as we transition to new materials for new markets and new applications in the circular economy, we really need to think about the commercial implications and keep things realistic.”

With a goal to remove unnecessary plastic from the packaging industry, premium secondary packaging company MaCher created Flexi-Hex, a paper-based product made from recycled and FSC certified materials. An as an alternative solution to plastic protective packaging, expanded polystyrene and protective foams, it implements a

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“Reducing food waste is a massive consideration when we talk about packaging” — Edward Whitehead, co-founder and MD, Cyclepac hexagonal cellular structure to create elasticity and strength, allowing it to suit a range of products.

When used, Flexi-Hex sleeves expand up to 35 times their compact size, and the unique structure of the honeycomb sleeves makes them highly impact resistant.

Coles launched its Together to Zero Sustainability Strategy in a bid to become the count ry’s most

Collective Impact Summit & APCO Annual Awards

| September-October 2021

sustainable supermarket, and has included sustainable packaging and development as one of its key pillars in the strategy.

As part of its pledge to make packaging more sustainable, Coles has removed 31 million soaker pads from meat trays this year, which means 31 million soaker pads not being sent to landfill.

Coles says it will close the loop on the packaging of some of its most popular in-store bakery items by committing to have them made with 100 per cent recycled content in FY22, in addition to already being fully recyclable at kerbside.

The change will apply to 60 million pieces of packaging each year on in-store bakery products, and instead, the packaging will be made from 100 per cent recycled PET.

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The inaugural Collective Impact Summit will assess the current progress towards the 2025 Targets and explore the opportunities and barriers on the pathway towards achieving a circular economy for packaging.

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AIP NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

September-October 2021

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PUTTING THE 3RS INTO PACK DESIGN Pana Organic and Telstra discussed the processes of creating innovative renewable, recyclable and recoverable packaging designs which are meeting the 2025 National Packaging Targets.

Pana composite drink blends, which packs won silver in the 2021 Packaging Innovation and Design Awards (PIDA), were produced by paperboard packaging business Zipform Packaging, who has been working with Pana Organic since the company launched its range of frozen desserts.

Tara Anderson, marketing project manager, Pana Organic discussed the creative process of the package design, emphasising how the lid was created and the particular resealing capabilities needed for the product to retain freshness.

Nicholas Payne, Zipform business development and marketing manager, expanded on the the packs ability to keep the drink blend contents fresh and dry throughout the retail supply chain, and explained how the finishing on the drink blend packs adhered to the brand profile and conveyed the product’s premium distinction.

Importantly, the recyclable quality of the pack is its paperboard base.

As part of a strategic repositioning of the Telstra brand towards more efficient and sustainable solutions,

ABOVE: Pana Organic’s drink blend: aesthetically appealing and gaining attention for its recyclability

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Birdstone Collective was challenged to reimagine the telco company’s new packaging approach.

Alita McMenamin, senior marketing specialist, Telstra and Grant Davies, director, Birdstone Collective, discussed how they created a whole new system across all Telstra products to address the 1.4 million kilograms of packaging waste that was going out to customers, and the inconsistent packaging style of its product portfolio.

The collaborative efforts of Telstra and Birdstone resulted in the re-creation of the Smart Modem 2 package, which sports new sustainable packaging and has seen a 75 per cent overall reduction in packaging materials.

Telstra’s fibre-based packaging range, designed by Birdstone, won gold for Best Use of Packaging at the 2020 Transform Awards, Australia and New Zealand. ■

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