Australian businesses awarded for sustainable packaging

The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) held its annual awards last week, celebrating 21 businesses from several different industries for their achievements in sustainable packaging. Organisations were represented from the manufacturing, retail, transport, technology, hospitality and tobacco industries.

The awards celebrate those businesses that embrace APCO’s vision to drive efficiency in resource use and recoverability amongst its members. Winners were selected based on their performance in sustainable packaging design, comprehensive recycling systems and product stewardship activities to develop sustainable supply chains.

Seventeen Sector Awards were presented across nine different categories, with the winners as follows:

• Clothing, Footwear and Fashion: Lululemon Athletica Australia; Kathmandu
• Consumer Communications and Electronics: Fuji Xerox Australia; HP PPS AUSTRALIA; SingTel Optus
• Food and Beverage: Rawbone Pet Foods; Pernod Ricard Winemakers; The Smith’s Snackfoods Company & Sakata Rice Snacks Australia
• Packaging Manufacturer: CHEP Australia; Detmold Packaging
• Pharmaceutical, Personal Care and Medical: Jurlique International; Blackmores; Unilever Australasia
• Quick Service Restaurant: McDonald’s Australia
• Shipping and Transport: Qantas Airways
• Tobacco: British American Tobacco Australia
• Home and Hardware: Brown & Watson International

In addition to the industry sector awards, four businesses were celebrated via the Outstanding Achievement awards in Design, Recycling, Packaging Stewardship, as well as the APCO Member of the Year that showed high achievements overall:

• APCO Member of the Year: Kathmandu
• Outstanding Achievement in Design: The Smith’s Snackfoods Company & Sakata Rice Snacks Australia
• Outstanding Achievement in Recycling: Nestlé Australia
• Outstanding Achievement in Packaging Stewardship: Jurlique International

Oliver Milliner, Kathmandu’s sustainability coordinator, accepts the 2017 APCO Member of the Year award.

“With the spotlight now firmly on the waste and recycling industries, there has never been a better time for Australian businesses to reduce their environmental footprint,” said Brooke Donnelly, interim APCO CEO. “We commend all our finalists and award winners who are leading their industries toward a more sustainable future, and toward an Australia where packaging resources are used and disposed of wisely to minimise our environmental impact.”

Top image: The 2017 APCO Awards trophies were made from reclaimed timber.