The International Fresh Produce Association Australia and New Zealand (IFPA ANZ) has become important to the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), underlining its commitment to supporting the fresh produce industry's journey to more sustainable packaging practices.
Ben Hoodless
The targets include: 100 per cent of packaging to be reusable, recyclable, or compostable; 70 per cent of plastic packaging to be recycled or composted; 50 per cent average recycled content across all packaging; and a phase-out of problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic packaging.
"As an industry, we are failing APCO's targets – the systems, schemes, and infrastructure are not there to support supply chain member efforts. A more realistic target is 2030. We need to see more investment from governments into establishing recycling infrastructure if we are to achieve any real traction in this space by 2030," Mr Hoodless said.
Chris Foley
"In Australia to date, packaging regulations have largely been state-based which can cause significant issues for growers and packers who supply across borders (where different regulations apply). APCO works closely with the Federal Government to make members' voices heard at a national level. IFPA ANZ supports a national approach that aims to reduce complexity, inefficiency, and cost to the supply chain."
"Recently at IFPA's Global Produce and Floral Show in Atlanta, we met a supplier who had developed a PLU sticker with compostable adhesive, that meets USA regulations, and that technology is emerging here. We're also seeing the emergence of new technologies such as natural branding of fruit through lasers which looks very interesting," he said.
"The fresh produce and floral packaging sector face challenges in finding circular packaging that preserves product freshness due to the short lifespan of perishable goods. APCO is excited to work more closely with IFPA to help drive innovation in sustainable packaging solutions, support industry-wide collaboration, and ensure that the sector's unique needs are met in line with the National Packaging Targets and beyond," he said.
Renee Holbrook
"We are excited to extend our working relationship with IFPA ANZ into the APCO scope as IFPA continues to advocate and enable more sustainable packaging outcomes for the floral and fresh produce supply chains. Its membership will also provide IFPA members greater connection opportunities into APCO for better industry outcomes," Ms Holbrook said.
"It's about what the industry could look like in 2030 and how IFPA ANZ can align with and support members' objectives for a more sustainable industry," he said.
IFPA ANZ will run a series of targeted webinars for members in the new year, outlining how it will support members as they transition towards a more sustainable industry in a timely fashion that will not place any extra burden, complexity, or cost on stakeholders.
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For more information:
International Fresh Produce Association
Tel: +1(302)781-5855
Email: [email protected]
www.freshproduce.com