Accc Proposes Soft Plastics Recycling Scheme Featuring Nestlé, Mars

Soft integrative wrappers. Credit: Dmitriev Mikhail/Shutterstock.com

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has projected a caller industry-led strategy to cod and recycle soft integrative packaging from consumers.

The voluntary strategy would beryllium tally by nan non-profit Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia (SPSA) and intends to summation nan postulation and recycling of soft integrative packaging specified arsenic shopping bags and nutrient wrappers.

According to nan regulator, first members of nan strategy would see nutrient giants Nestlé, Mars and McCormick, on pinch nan awesome supermarkets Woolworths and Coles. Discounter Aldi would besides beryllium included.

Just Food has contacted nan nutrient companies and retailers progressive for confirmation and comment.

Deputy Chair of nan ACCC, Mick Keogh, said: “It is clear that galore Australians are concerned astir nan biology impacts of soft integrative packaging and want to recycle it.”

He added: “We judge nan projected strategy will consequence successful an biology use arsenic it intends to return complete and grow nan existent in-store postulation and kerbside pilots for recycling soft integrative packaging, meaning immoderate soft plastics are apt to beryllium diverted from landfill.

“While we cognize that soft integrative recycling has faced galore challenges successful Australia, we see that nan SPSA strategy is an important stepping chromatic to expanding collections and recycling.”

The ACCC is proposing to assistance authorisation for 8 years and to see a reporting information from nutrient brands and supermarkets to “ensure transparency of nan capacity of nan scheme”.

Furthermore, an further information is projected to guarantee that location are nary exclusive contracts pinch processors during nan authorisation period.

The ACCC has besides granted interim authorisation to SPSA to let it to prosecute successful nan process, including nan sharing of operational accusation and information to let for existing arrangements of nan Soft Plastics Taskforce to beryllium transferred to SPSA.

Parties person been invited by nan ACCC to remark connected nan draught proposals by 25 August.

Citing information from nan Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), nan ACCC noted that betwixt 2022 and 2023, much than 540,000 tonnes of soft integrative packaging was utilized by manufacturers successful packaging their products but only 6% was recovered.