Annual reports were due on 2 May 2013. A notice of referral has been issued to signatories who have not completed and submitted their reports.  Please be reminded that your report has not been submitted until it has been “Authorised” and a name entered in this section at the end of the report. The status will remain as “In progress” until the report is authorised.

For those who have completed the annual report, we will be reviewing all annual reports submitted and providing feedback to contact officers with the opportunity to address any potential issues.  All reports will be provided with a “star rating” upon completion of this process.  

If you have any queries regarding the reporting process or accessing the online template, please contact us directly.

A recent report commissioned by the APC strongly indicates that there is a particular opportunity to increase packaging resource recovery across the commercial and industrial sector by implementing or improving in-house waste management.  Focusing on improved resource recovery has the potential to deliver signatories substantial disposal cost savings; in addition, it often leads to greater operational efficiency, improved environmental performance and helps meet requirements under KPI 3 of the APC.

The APC is committed to developing resources for signatories to improve their in-house waste management capabilities.  A survey link was sent to all brand owner signatories on 2 May 2013 so that we can better identify opportunities for in-house waste management programs.  Your assistance completing the survey and providing valuable insight into how we can assist is greatly appreciated.  The survey will be open until 24 May.

If you have any questions regarding the survey please contact Natalie Ryan.

The APC is committed to working more closely with the wine industry in 2013.

A meeting/workshop has been scheduled for 6 June in South Australia to develop a program addressing action plans (including an industry-wide packaging assessment) and discuss facilitating a cross-sector waste management improvement program. All winery signatories are invited to attend.

If you would like to join this meeting, please get in touch with Natalie via apc@packagingcovenant.org.au.

As the largest food and beverage company in the world, Nestlé is committed to assessing the environmental and social aspects of packaging on the population.

In 2012, Nestle redesigned its bulk gravy mix packaging using the APC Sustainable Packaging Guidelines. Nestle's assessment of this packaging indicates the new packaging represents a significant improvement in CO2 emmissions, an increase in palletisation (meaning less pallets are used to transport the same amount of product), the elimination of a plastic liner and an overall cost saving.

The full case study is available on the APC website.

The aim of towardZero is help small to medium size businesses in Central Queensland enhance efficiency and save money by improving recycling and waste management in the workplace.

TowardZero will work directly with businesses to help them implement and improve their recycling processes and practices. Businesses undergo a waste and recycling review, and waste assessment, and are provided with a report detailing their current waste streams as well as advice on how to improve recycling. This report will be accompanied with infrastructure to support recycling in the business.

The project seeks to achieve:

• Involvement of 150-200 businesses by 30 June 2014.
• A reduction in waste of 15-20% for registered businesses within 1 year of registration.
• Identification of 7500 potential new recycling tonnes for diversion from landfill.

Read about other APC projects in our projects database.

A new guide by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) will help companies assess, measure and value the natural resources it relies on. The new guide titled, Eco4Biz - Ecosystem services and biodiversity tools to support business decision-making, encourages companies to explore the tools that can help them better incorporate nature into business decision-making.

Read more