ANZPAC joins the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s global Plastics Pact Network, a globally aligned response to plastic waste and pollution that unites over 550 member organisations behind the shared vision of a circular economy for plastic, where it never becomes waste or pollution.
Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental issues facing the planet. By 2040, if we fail to act, the volume of plastic on the market will double, the annual volume of plastic entering the ocean will almost triple, and ocean plastic stocks will quadruple.
The ambitious new cross-regional program will work to fundamentally transform our response to plastic by eliminating the plastics we don’t need, innovating to ensure that the plastics we do need are reusable, recyclable, or compostable, and circulating the plastic we use, keeping it in the economy and out of the environment.
ANZPAC Members and Supporters will celebrate the program’s official launch today at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney.
The ANZPAC Plastics Pact represents the complete plastics supply chain, from leading brands, packaging manufacturers and retailers to resource recovery leaders, government institutions, and NGOs (full Member list below).
ANZPAC Members will work towards four clear, actionable targets by 2025:
- Eliminate unnecessary and problematic plastic packaging through redesign, innovation and alternative (reuse) delivery models.
- 100% of plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025.
- Increase plastic packaging collected and effectively recycled by 25% for each geography within the ANZPAC region.
- Average of 25% recycled content in plastic packaging across the region.
The immediate next steps for the ANZPAC program to achieve its 2025 goals is to develop a roadmap for action.
The Hon Trevor Evans, Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management commented: “Plastic pollution is one the biggest environmental challenges we face and managing plastic at end-of-life is something we must do better at. The Federal Government is committed to increasing plastic recycling, finding alternatives to unnecessary plastics and reducing the impact of plastic on the environment. Congratulations to the ANZPAC Plastics Pact and its founding members on today’s launch. It’s fantastic to see such a diverse range of organisations across the supply chain coming together to deliver solutions in the Australia and the wider Asia Pacific region.”
Brooke Donnelly, CEO, Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (ANZPAC lead organisation) commented: “On behalf of the ANZPAC team, and our passionate community of founding Members, it is my pleasure to officially launch the ANZPAC Plastics Pact for the Oceania region.
“As well as a growing problem, plastic is also fundamentally an international one. To tackle plastic waste effectively we need to find solutions that aren’t constrained by national borders or old ways of thinking. Through the Plastics Pact model, we will bring together the complete plastic supply chain across the entire Oceania region, and working with our global partners through the Plastics Pact network, develop solutions that deliver real and tangible change to the plastic problem for our region.
“Congratulations to all of our founding Members on their genuine commitment to achieving a circular economy for plastics and their willingness to break down traditional barriers and accelerate truly innovative solutions.”
APCO has worked closely with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and WRAP to develop ANZPAC.
Sonja Wegge, Programme Manager, Plastics Pact Network, Ellen MacArthur Foundation commented: “We welcome the announcement of the ANZPAC Plastics Pact, the first in the Oceania region to join the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s global Plastics Pact Network. We are looking forward to supporting governments and industry in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Island Nations in driving real change towards a circular economy for plastic across the region, by eliminating problematic and unnecessary plastic items, innovating to ensure that the plastics needed are reusable, recyclable, or compostable, and circulating the plastic items used to keep them in the economy and out of the environment. Together we can create a world without plastic waste or pollution.”
David Rogers, Head of International Development WRAP, “WRAP is delighted by the launch of the Australia, New Zealand & Pacific Plastics Pact today. As part of the UK’s support of the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance, we have been supporting the Pacific islands to tackle plastic pollution. Being part of ANZPAC is a really powerful way to ensure these important islands have greater influence in ending the tide of plastics that wash up on their shores every day. We wish APCO and all the members and supporters of ANZPAC every success.”
