Pact Group announced its 2025 sustainability commitments designed to help achieve the End of Waste: a circular economy that will reduce, reuse, or recycle all packaging waste.
Pact Group welcomed the 2025 National Packaging Targets announced by Australia’s Minister for the Environment, Melissa Price, which build on commitments made by state and territory environment ministers to set a path for Australia’s recyclable waste.
In committing to new sustainability targets for Pact Group, Executive Chairman Raphael Geminder said that Australia’s packaging industry faces an inflection point in the need for smarter packaging waste solutions, with consumer sentiment shifting and government action forthcoming.
“Australian consumers are demanding change. Consumption of packaging is growing exponentially, and our waste management systems are no longer fit for purpose. We can no longer simply rely on consumers to solve the problem, we need government and industry working side by side to create scaled, standardised solutions to tackle packaging waste,” Mr Geminder said.
“As passionate recyclers and innovators now is the time to set ambitious goals and drive the changes that can lead the industry to the End of Waste.
“In order to realise this vision, we require industry-wide collaboration to simplify the recycling process for consumers. An integrated approach will allow us to deliver innovation at scale so new solutions do not simply increase cost and lose value. Consumers should not be forced to choose between value and sustainability,” Mr Geminder said.
New research launched by Pact Group shows that consumers are keenly aware of the problems caused by packaging waste but expect industry to provide more sustainable options.
Ninety-one per cent of Australians are concerned about the impact of packaging, and importantly, 76 per cent say they are more concerned about packaging waste now than they were five years ago. Despite this, less than half would be willing to pay more for a product with more environmentally friendly packaging.
Mr Geminder said that industry must come together to lead the charge towards the End of Waste.
“There are tangible, incremental changes we can make today, and longer-term changes that will require cross-industry collaboration, but they are all achievable. I will be calling on my industry colleagues to work together with us on common platforms, agreed standards and processes that will create a framework for manufacturers, brand owners and retailers to solve problems systematically.”
