To mark World Environment Day, Coles has announced a new three-year partnership with Planet Ark to help further its efforts to reduce food waste and packaging, and to tackle the challenge of plastic waste and recycling.
The partnership will see the two organisations work together on a range of waste reduction and recycling initiatives, including during National Recycling Week and School Recycle Right Challenge, of which Coles is the major sponsor.
Brooke Donnelly, general manager Sustainability at Coles, said the retailer is proud to partner with the not-for-profit and help further Australia’s transition to a more circular economy.
“We are pleased to partner with Planet Ark to help accelerate action on reducing waste, and to support our customers to make sustainable choices in their everyday lives,” Donnelly said.
“Through this partnership, we can significantly assist Planet Ark to boost its program of work, including delivering additional campaigns, events and resources, with the overall aim of driving positive environmental change.
“We understand for many consumers recycling can be confusing, but we’re confident that through this partnership and the work we are doing at Coles to make packaging more reusable. Recyclable and compostable, we can help build trust and understanding for this important process.”
The partnership announcement comes as Coles has added the ARL to the packaging artwork across all Own Brand products.
According to Rebecca Gilling, Planet Ark’s CEO, the partnership with Coles would not only help to spread Planet Ark’s positive environmental actions among Coles’ customers around Australia, but also to drive positive change across the retailer’s operations.
“Planet Ark is thrilled to be joining forces with Coles as an official community partner, a collaboration that will help to amplify our positive environmental impact throughout Australia, as well as bring about lasting positive change for Coles’ customers and our shared environment,” said Gilling.
“By committing to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025, pioneering initiatives to combat unnecessary packaging, and championing the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL), Coles has firmly established itself as a leader in driving positive environmental transformation.
“We look forward to working together to accelerate this ongoing transition to a circular economy, and elevate Coles’ leadership in sustainability to new heights.”
Recently, Coles announced it will phase out soft plastic bags both in-store and online by the end of June, a move that will remove 230 million plastic bags from circulation in one year.
In addition, the retailer is supporting the delivery of Australia’s National Packaging Targets of 100 per cent reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025.
Coles is a signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant and a member if the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), tasked with delivering Australia’s 2025 National Packaging Targets, the aim of which is to drive.
Other Coles partners with a focus on improving environmental outcomes include the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and Clean Up Australia.
