Waste policy managers gain packaging insights during factory visit

A group of senior government policy managers had a firsthand view of our food packaging process when they recently toured our Berkeley Vale factory.

Our guests, from the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, NSW Department of Environment, and the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFCG), witnessed the significant level of investment we have made in our beverages’ liquid paperboard (UHT) packaging technology, with a view to potentially including these cartons into national standards for recyclables when they are reviewed.

Currently there is no standard for their inclusion in kerbside recycling schemes, with each local council deciding whether to accept them for collection.

We’re supporting calls for liquid paperboard to be included in a harmonised kerbside waste collection standard and the development of local recycling infrastructure to process these cartons, which have a low carbon footprint and are lighter and more space-efficient to transport.

During the visit, our team also demonstrated the high standards of food safety and hygiene we operate under, highlighting that using more recycled material must recognise the importance of food safety and contamination control.

The factory tour gave the policy managers an understanding of the complexity of making “simple pack changes”, prompting discussion on improving sortation and recycling technology within the industry.