The Australian government announced $10.5m in grants to support waste recovery, with foodservice packaging company BioPak one of the 11 applicants to be awarded funding.
As part of the National Product Stewardship Investment Fund, the grant is to help provide development and support for BioPak’s new programme, The Compost Network. This initiative aims to bring industry participants together to transform compostable packaging and food waste into nutrient-rich soil for businesses across the country.
BioPak founder Richard Fine said it is time to collaborate to overcome challenges and harness the value and benefits that compostable packaging can provide.
“We are excited to join forces with businesses in the packaging, foodservice, and waste industry to help grow Australian organic recycling capabilities and instigate widespread change,” he said.
“Only through collaboration can we transform compostable materials from a niche initiative to a core pillar of a circular and sustainable economy and we believe The Compost Network can help achieve this vision.
Assistant minister for waste reduction and environmental management Trevor Evans said the dial is shifting in Australia as people change their mindset about waste and look towards a more circular economy.
“BioPak’s new product stewardship scheme for organic waste and compostable packaging will reduce waste going to landfill, lift recycling rates, and help food service businesses and consumers make a practical, positive difference for the environment,” Evans said.
According to BioPak, the foodservice industry in Australia creates nearly 900,000 tonnes of organic waste, including an estimated 17 billion individual single-use foodservice disposables – this translates to more than 130,000 tonnes of packaging waste that could be recovered and diverted from landfills through organic recycling.
“We are calling on the support from the foodservice and foodservice packaging industry to take ownership and responsibility to ensure that their products are recovered and recycled,” Fine said.
BioPak said it launched Australia’s first compost collection service in 2018. The Compost Network is an evolution of this programme, opening the platform to all participants in the industry to maximise the positive environmental impact.
The company says its goal is to transform this service into an industry-led programme where foodservice businesses can collectively support the development of organic recycling in Australia.
