Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Island nations have formed the ANZPAC Plastic Pact to further innovation in plastics and promote the circular economy.
Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Island nations are set to form the ANZPAC Plastic Pact. The announcement was made by the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) at the Federal Government’s National Plastic Summit in Australia.
The ANZPAC Plastic Pact is designed to work with businesses, governments and NGOs from across the plastics value chain. The main goal of the alliance is to promote a circular economy for plastic to ensure that it never becomes pollution.
The ANZPAC Plastic Pact is to eliminate unnecessary single use plastics through new, innovative techniques. Under this pact, additional plastics will be either recycled or composted.
This new plastic pact joins the UK, France, Chile, The Netherlands, South Africa, Portugal and the European Economic Area (EEA), as part of the global Plastic Pact network.
Consulting with local industries
APCO are set to develop the programme in consultation with local industry representatives. The first workshop took place in March, the second of which has not yet been announced.
APCO have reported strong engagement from industry players across the plastic value changes, such companies include Amcor, Kmart Australia, Mars, Nestlé Oceania, SUEZ, Unilever, Veolia, and Woolworths.
“We welcome the announcement of the ANZPAC Plastics Pact and look forward to working together with the governments and industry of Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands to drive real change towards a circular economy for plastic, by eliminating problematic and unnecessary plastic items, innovating to ensure that the plastics they do need are reusable, recyclable, or compostable, and circulating the plastic items they use to keep them in the economy and out of the environment. Together we can create a world without plastic waste or pollution,” said New Plastics Economy Lead, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Sander Defruyt.
“Plastic is a global supply chain problem and that means to manage it effectively, Australia needs an international approach. The Ellen Macarthur Foundation’s Plastic Pact network is a proven, effective model being rolled out across the world, and I’m very pleased that APCO Members and key stakeholders will be leading the delivery of this program for our region,” said Brooke Donnelly, CEO of APCO.
