Wednesday, 09 August 2023 08:55

Fonterra Oz eyes green packaging

Written by  Staff Reporters
Fonterra Australia’s Sustainability Packaging Manager, Jenny Phillips. Fonterra Australia’s Sustainability Packaging Manager, Jenny Phillips.

Fonterra is aiming to make all its Australian dairy product packaging either reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.

The co-operative has 26 sustainable packaging projects underway in Australia and has invested significantly in this area. As well as creating greater opportunities for recycling, Fonterra Australia is also focused on ways to make packaging more sustainable.

This includes removing the cardboard sleeve from its Mainland On The Go Lunch snacking range, which has reduced the need for 47 tonnes of paperboard per annum.

Fonterra Australia's sustainability packaging manager, Jenny Phillips says the co-op has set itself a significant challenge in the sustainable packaging space.

"And we are making good progress on our goal," says Phillips.

"We have also changed to a recyclable PET tray and increased the shipping efficiency of the product to reduce corrugated carton board by another 10 tonnes per annum. All up, this has resulted in significant financial savings for the busines, as well as demonstrable environmental improvements. It's a win-win," she says.

Fonterra Australia is committed to supporting a new pat for soft plastic packaging and is a foundation supporter of the National Plastics Recycling Scheme (NPRS).

The NPRS soft plastics project is being developed by Australia's food and grocery manufacturing industry, with funding support from the federal government.

The aim is to enable people to recycle soft plastics at home and create a new advanced recycling industry in Australia that can turn used soft plastics back into new food-grade packaging.

Phillips says there are strong benefits in using plastic packaging, as it plays an important role in keeping food safe and reducing waste, which also has a considerable environmental impact.

"However, the move to more sustainable packaging is an important step in creating a circular economy where packaging can be recovered, reused, recycled and reprocessed back into a food-grade solution," she says.

More like this

Cynical politics

OPINION: There is zero chance that someone who joined Fonterra as a lobbyist, then served as a general manager of Fonterra's nutrient management programme, and sat on the board of Export NZ, a division of lobbyist group Business New Zealand, doesn't understand that local butter (and milk and cheese) prices are set by the international commodity price.

Why is butter so expensive in New Zealand? Fonterra explains

Kiwis love their butter, and that's great because New Zealand produces some of the best butter in the world. But when the price of butter goes up, it's tough for some, particularly when many other grocery staples have also gone up and the heat goes on co-operative Fonterra, the country's main butter maker. Here the co-op explains why butter prices are so high right now.

Featured

T&G Global returns to profitability

Fresh produce grower and exporter T&G Global has overturned last year’s dismal performance by reporting a half year net profit of $1.7 million.

Rural backlash over plan to cut police staffing

Federated Farmers North Canterbury president Bex Green says two public meetings held this week should have made it loud and clear that rural families and businesses are concerned about proposed staffing changes at NZ Police.

DairyNZ thanks farm staff

August 6 marks Farm Worker Appreciation Day, a moment to recognise the dedication and hard mahi of dairy farm workers across Aotearoa - and DairyNZ is taking the opportunity to celebrate the skilled teams working on its two research farms.

Editorial: Getting RMA settings right

OPINION: The Government has been seeking industry feedback on its proposed amendments to a range of Resource Management Act (RMA) national direction instruments.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Fatberg

OPINION: Sydney has a $12 million milk disposal problem.

Synlait snag

OPINION: Canterbury milk processor Synlait's recovery seems to have hit another snag.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter