The Australian government has funded a co-operative research centre as part of its project to combat plastic waste, which aims to transform how plastic is designed, used, and recycled.

Brunswick’s Wholefoods Unwrapped Collective has been recognised as the Community Champion winner in the Circular Economy Innovation category at the 2023 VIC Premier’s Sustainability Awards.

The $600m Maryvale EfW project has reached a major milestone, signing a multi-million-dollar engineering design agreement with Spanish infrastructure group Cobra Instalaciones y Servicios.

The federal government says it will invest $127 million in research centres to eliminate plastic waste and cut emissions. This includes transforming the way plastics are designed, manufactured, used and recycled.

For the first time in its history, the World Packaging Organisation (WPO) participated at COP28, giving voice to the important connection between packaging and its role in transforming food systems.

An extra 1700 tonnes of plastic waste will be diverted from Tasmanian landfill each year thanks to a $1.26 million co-investment from the Australian and Tasmanian governments.

NSW’s recycling scheme, Return and Earn, is celebrating six years of success, with 8 out of 10 NSW adults participating and over 10.4 billion drink containers returned for recycling.

Head of Packaging at Woolworths, Bryan McKay is the APCO Sustainability Champion for 2023. PKN spoke to him about his leadership approach to bring others along on the sustainability journey.

Environmental groups, along with recycling and waste management bodies, are calling on states and territories to follow Queensland in including wine and spirit bottles in container deposit schemes.

Beverage brand Capi will be transitioning from plastic labels to paper ones, which it says will make the glass bottle 100 per cent recyclable. Capi has also refreshed the pack design to boost shelf presence.

Detmold Group, manufacturer of paper- and board-based sustainable packaging products, says it is increasing its sustainability focus, with the first of its multiple facilities “flicking the switch” to solar energy.

In October, the NSW and Victorian EPAs partnered with Tangaroa Blue, along with active participation from local plastic industry members, to assess the extent of the nurdle issue through a Nurdle Hunt.

New Federal national packaging laws push accountability, but how can the industry best prepare? Gary Smith, CEO of BioPak, discusses steps to be taken and where composting fits into a circular approach.

Aquapak Polymers has won 4evergreen’s award for Hydropol, a water-soluble, biodegradable polymer technology that can be extrusion-coated or adhesive laminated as a film onto paper.

There are greater environmental and economic benefits and gains up for grabs, if big business can adopt circular principles across their supply chain, according to Bronwyn Voyce of Great Plastic Rescue.

Environmental and consumer rights organisations in the EU have filed a legal complaint against Coca-Cola, Nestlé and Danone for the alleged use of misleading claims on plastic bottles.