The Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Islands Plastics Pact (ANZPAC) has launched a pilot project for the collection, recovery and recycling of soft plastics in the Pacific Islands.
ANZPAC hopes the project will lay the foundation for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, which will facilitate the sustainable management of plastic packaging while addressing the critical gaps in waste and recycling infrastructure.
The recovery rate for soft plastics in the ANZPAC region is low – about five per cent across the region and as low as 0.2 per cent in some Pacific Island countries.
The pilot is part of stage one of the Circular Pacific Plastics (CPP) project, a whole-of-industry initiative uniting brands with key local decision makers to develop regionally relevant, impactful and locally sustainable end-of-life solutions for used plastic packaging.
Together with The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and funding from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), ANZPAC is facilitating the first phase of the project which includes a brand-driven recovery pilot to test the collection and recycling of soft plastics in Fiji.
ANZPAC has established an industry advisory group for the duration of the project that will guide the long-term vision of CPP and the implementation of phase one.
The advisory group consists of key representatives from Coca-Cola, Scion, Nestlé, Colgate-Palmolive, WRAP, Fijian brands and distributors, and technical consultants.
Stage one will involve both business-to-consumer and business-to-business recovery trials to understand the mechanisms necessary to overcome local challenges of soft plastic collection and recycling.
Guided by local insight and knowledge, the project will be developed with Fiji’s Pacific Recycling Foundation (PRF), to ensure outcomes are regionally impactful and meaningful for the community.
Angela Mayer, Senior ANZPAC Program Manager, said Circular Pacific Plastics is a testament to the power of collaboration.
“It has been inspiring to see so many brands and stakeholders from across the globe come together to tackle the issue of plastic packaging circularity in the remote Islands of the Pacific,” said Mayer.
“This is a major milestone for the ANZPAC region and we are proud to be working with local communities and businesses to develop recovery projects that are relevant, effective and essential to the long-term success of end-of-life solutions for used plastic packaging.”
For more information, anzpacplasticspact.org.au
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