Sustainability

High Pressure Processing (HPP) has been around 30 years but has become mainstream in the last few years, and will disrupt the juice industry, according to Botanica managing director, Richard Magney. HPP is a cold pasteurisation technique used to eliminate vegetable flora. Utilising 6000 bar of pressure (there is 37 bar of pressure in your … Continue reading HPP technology will change the future →

Sister companies, Caspak Australia and Caspak New Zealand, who specialise in flexible packaging, have merged their operations and brands. While financial management of the companies will remain country-based, the merger will result in streamlining and increased efficiencies of both businesses. The merger will see the companies operate as a single entity in order to pool … Continue reading Caspak streamlines Australasian businesses →

A Coles supermarket in Sydney’s west has become the first Australian supermarket to trial zero waste to landfill, as one of several initiatives to help Coles meet its commitment to become Australia’s most sustainable supermarket. As part of a trial, the supermarket in Wentworth Point is sending zero waste to landfill, preventing the equivalent of … Continue reading Cleanaway and Coles team up over waste initiative →

A new report from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) has delivered generally positive news for wild fish stocks in Australian Government managed fisheries. Acting ABARES Executive Director, Peter Gooday, said the latest Fishery status reports 2019 revealed 70 per cent of fish stocks reviewed were not overfished and not … Continue reading Positive outlook for Australian fish stocks →

Shoppers recycled enough pieces of plastic to go around the world one and half times at Coles last year, representing a  32 per cent increase on the previous year. Revealed in Coles’ Sustainability Report, Coles customers recycled 905 tonnes or 226 million pieces of soft plastics – including packaging such as biscuit packets, lolly bags, … Continue reading Coles increases recycling of soft plastics by 32 per cent →

As the world grapples with the waste crisis, a two-day hackathon event has brought together Business and Built Environment students and industry experts to brainstorm ways to combat the issue. Jointly hosted by UNSW’s Grand Challenges program and food rescue organisation OzHarvest, students tackled the important question: How can we reduce residential food waste in high-density … Continue reading Challenges abound for food waste solutions →

Honesty when it comes to claims on-pack is becoming more important as consumers start to question the sustainability of packaging. With the 2025 National Packaging Targets significantly shifting the packaging design landscape in Australia, a critical element that is coming up short is truthful and accurate environmental claims on-pack, and this issue needs to be … Continue reading Being truthful about sustainable packaging claims →

A2 milk had a rocky start when New Zealand businessman Howard Paterson and research scientist Dr Corran McLachlan founded the A2 Corporation in 2000. The milk, which claims to help reduce the risks of digestive problems, diabetes and heart disease because it is said to contain only A2 beta-casein, seemed to hit a nerve with … Continue reading A2 disruption to milk market not a bad thing →

An independent inspector-general of Live Animal Exports to oversee regulation of the industry is a step closer today with the Bill to establish the position as a statutory appointment passing the Senate. Agriculture Minister, Bridget McKenzie, said the community deserved greater assurance that animal welfare outcomes for export livestock were being met and monitored. “Australia’s … Continue reading Improving oversight of live animal exports →

Bottled water has been a refreshment for Australians for the best part of three decades. According to a recent IBISWorld report, the industry in Australia for the past five years through to 2018-19 was valued at just over $700 million, and is expected to grow by 0.8 per cent over the next year. IBISWorld believes … Continue reading AquaRush bottling facility designed to meet expanding industry needs →

Devil’s Elbow Brewery is fast becoming a highlight on any visitor to Dubbo’s itinerary. Named after a bend in the Macquarie River that runs through Dubbo, the brewery is set in the town’s industrial precinct with over 400 people on site during the working week. Being the only food and beverage option in the area … Continue reading pH system ensures compliance with strict council wastewater regulations →

The AIP Use of Lifecycle Assessment Tools for Sustainable Packaging Design training course is aimed at providing an introduction and learning framework for packaging industry professionals to apply lifecycle thinking to their working contexts. This includes an understanding of the reasons why lifecycle thinking is critical, as well as how the method may be used … Continue reading AIP training course heads to NSW →

Over one billion tons of food is wasted every year. The Food and Agriculture Organization also estimates that in developing countries, up to 40 per cent of total food produced can be lost before it even reaches market. As such, implementing methods of safely storing and transporting food is crucial for being able to continue … Continue reading Frozen foods can help reduce waste →

Coca-Cola Australia has launched a new campaign to thank Australians for recycling. It follows the announcement earlier this year that seven out of 10 of Coca-Cola’s range of drink bottles in Australia will be 100 per cent recycled plastic by the end of 2019. In April, the company announced its largest ever investment in recycled … Continue reading Coke campaign to reiterate recycling commitments →

As a consumer, you might have heard about the “Waste Hierarchy” and the 5Rs. From a consumer perspective they are: • Refuse – do not purchase unwanted items. • Reduce – eliminate single-use packaging wherever possible. This means declining plastic coffee cups, shopping bags, straws and buying products that are sustainable. • Reuse products more than once. Purchase reusable … Continue reading Redesigning packaging with reduce, reuse, recycle in mind →

Solar power plants capable of generating sufficient electricity for 39,000 homes* will be built in regional New South Wales following a landmark 10-year agreement between Coles and global renewable power generation company Metka EGN. In the first deal of its kind to be made by a major Australian retailer, Coles will purchase more than 70% of the electricity … Continue reading Coles agreement secures three new solar power plants →

While food safety is first and foremost a priority, conscientious consumers are increasingly calling for products that also meet rigorous environmental standards. For nearly 20 years, Cookers Bulk Oil has placed sustainability at the core of its operations. The company has made it its mission to minimise its impact on the environment at every step … Continue reading Sustainability at core of bulk oil business →

The complexity of managing data integrity and alignment between trading partners often results in inefficiencies for both retailers and suppliers across operational and cost considerations. This issue is likely to grow in importance as supply chains become more complex through advanced automated distribution centres and new routes to market in an omni-channel environment. Shoppers, consumers and regulators … Continue reading Mastering the complexities of supply chain data accuracy →

Based in north-east Victoria, Merriwa is a company that specialises in supported employment enterprises. They have hired more than 105 supported employees out of a team of 300. They work across five business divisions – contract packaging, contract processing and packaging, timber beams and flooring and as service staff in the Park Lane Nursery and … Continue reading Processing and packaging facility offers inclusive working environment →

The Palm Oil-Free Accreditation Program (POFAP) has launched the world’s first Palm Oil Free Certification Trademark in Australia. Now, two years on, POFCAP celebrates its second birthday with 1,088 products having been Certified Palm Oil Free with hundreds more currently under assessment. The trademark is approved in 19 countries – Australia, Scotland, Spain, N. Ireland, … Continue reading Palm oil-free certification trademark goes global →