July: Packaging News Unpacked

In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News, is joined by Wayne Robinson, Editor of Print21 and Associate Editor of PKN, to provide insight, analysis and commentary on the top news stories shaping change in Australia’s dynamic packaging industry in July.

The episode focuses on packaging recycling, starting with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)’s extension of its approval for the Soft Plastics Taskforce (comprising Australia’s three major supermarkets Aldi, Coles, and Woolworths) to continue to collaborate to find a solution to processing the 11m tonne stockpile of soft plastic from the failed REDcycle program. We review news of two soft plastics recycling facilities: iQRenew in NSW has just commissioned its new line which can process 15,000 tonnes of post-consumer soft plastics annually, and Recycling Plastics Australia in SA is starting construction on a $40m facility which will see some 14,000 tonnes of soft plastics recycled per annum. In the course of the discussion we also review the progress on kerbside plastic recycling schemes Curby and the National Plastics Recycling Scheme, take a closer look at the new brand identity that recycler Close the Loop has unveiled, and discuss what the commissioning of Australia’s first oxygen-fuelled furnace at Visy’s glass recycling facility in Sydney means for sustainable packaging.

Covering rigid plastics, we explore Pact Group’s involvement in the new circular Drums-to-Drums initiative to recycle agricultural chemical containers. We also consider Samsara Eco’s successful $100m funding raise to progress and scale up its enzymatic recycling technology.

Lastly, to wrap up this episode, we review SIG’s launch of a recycle-ready bag-in-box packaging for water, Australasian Recycling Label’s recognition in the AFR Sustainability list, and remind listeners about the upcoming Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) awards.

Links:

Sponsor - Trimatt

www.trimatt.com - 03 8761 6171 - info@trimatt.com 

Soft Plastics Taskforce collaboration to continue

www.packagingnews.com.au/latest/soft-plastics-taskforce-collaboration-to-continue

iQRenew opens post-consumer soft plastic recycling plant

www.packagingnews.com.au/latest/iqrenew-opens-post-consumer-soft-plastic-recycling-plant

New $40m soft plastics recycling plant underway

www.packagingnews.com.au/latest/new-40m-soft-plastics-recycling-plant-underway

Soft plastics: how are we really tracking?

www.packagingnews.com.au/sustainability/soft-plastics-how-are-we-really-tracking

Close The Loop unveils new brand identity

www.packagingnews.com.au/latest/close-the-loop-unveils-new-brand-identity 

Visy's $150m oxygen-fuelled glass furnace online

www.packagingnews.com.au/latest/visy-s-150m-oxygen-fuelled-glass-furnace-online 

Pact moves to the beat of a circular drum

www.packagingnews.com.au/latest/pact-moves-to-the-beat-of-a-circular-drum

Samsara Eco secures $100m for e