Fonterra makes significant strides in sustainable packaging
Fonterra has been recognised for its commitment to sustainable packaging, achieving ‘Leading’ status under the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) standards based off their 2024 Annual Report.
APCO aims to reduce the environmental impact of packaging in Australia, working with government and industry to improve packaging sustainability.
It holds organisations to account across a range of metrics including governance & strategy, recoverability, problematic materials and design & procurement.
Fonterra's fresh milk bottles were the focus of a collaboration with PACT Group and Circular Plastics Australia. Pictured: Fonterra's Sustainability Packaging Manager, Global Markets, Jenny Phillips.
Fonterra Sustainability Packaging Manager for Global Markets, Jenny Phillips, said that APCO plays a crucial role in driving the transition towards more sustainable packaging practices in Australia.
“Since last year, we have improved our APCO performance rating from 74 per cent to 79 per cent, with notable advancements in two key areas – Disposal Labelling and Recycled Content.
“In the Disposal Labelling category, we have moved from Advanced to Beyond Best Practice, with 96 per cent of our consumer products now displaying the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL).
“The ARL provides clear and consistent disposal information to consumers, facilitating better recycling practices. Making recycling information accessible and understandable for consumers is a crucial step in fostering a circular economy," she said.
Fonterra also moved from Leading to Advanced in the Recycled Content category. This achievement is attributed to an active collaboration with the PACT group and Circular Plastics Australia, focusing on validating the food, safety, quality aspects of recycled content for its milk bottles.
Fonterra also maintained 'Beyond Best Practice' ratings in Governance & Strategy and Design & Procurement, reflecting the successful integration of sustainability into its business strategy and adherence to the Sustainable Packaging Guidelines for both new and existing packaging.
“Sustainability is central to our strategy in Australia, and we’re thrilled that APCO has recognised our progress to date. Although improving packaging sustainability across the supply chain is a huge task, and there’s still much work to be done.
“We have 28 sustainable packaging projects underway and will continue to invest heavily in this area as we work towards a target of 100 per cent of our dairy product packaging being reusable, recyclable or compostable by the end of 2025,” said Jenny.