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The Australian Packaging Covenant (APC) will announce a new board structure and five-year-plan by the end of 2016.

The “enhanced Covenant”, according to new CEO Trish Hyde, will be officially launched in January 2017.

“We will see more collaborative, targeted approaches to minimising the environmental impacts of packaging, she said.

“We are also changing the way we are governed and operate, so that we are more accountable, transparent and relevant – including becoming a company regulated by ASIC and the ACNC, and adopting a new board structure with industry and independent directors to provide stewardship.”

Trish-Hyde_headshot-11_A2DDF4D0-FFA5-11E5-8AA706B2CCB88DF31 Trish Hyde

In a letter to the APC, Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt confirmed ongoing government support for the Covenant.

He said the Covenant was “a central tool in addressing the environmental impacts of consumer packaging”.

Hunt is currently working with ministers on a joint statement about the scope and goals of the agreement.

In collaboration with industry and jurisdictions, the Covenant will draw on these recommendations for its five-year strategic plan.

Hyde said compliance conditions and reporting requirements would remain unchanged, and signatories should budget for their annual contribution in the coming financial year.

Food & Drink Business

Wine Australia and Wine Victoria will put almost $887,000 over three years into projects covering sustainability, biosecurity, business data and export insights for Victorian grapegrowers and winemakers.

McCain Foods has turned over a full 24-hour production run at its Ballarat plant to Foodbank Australia, producing 120,000 meals valued at more than $790,000.

The Australian Beverages Council has committed the non-alcoholic drinks industry to lifting low and no sugar drinks to 70 per cent of water-based beverage sales by 2030, up from 65 per cent in 2024. The target is the centrepiece of the council’s Beverage Choices Roadmap to 2030 (BCR30), launched by CEO Geoff Parker at its annual Drinks Industry Dialogue in Sydney yesterday.