Every year, more than 800,000 tonnes of plastic waste in Australia end up in landfills or the environment, contributing to an already toxic plastic soup that’s threatening marine ecosystems all across the world. In the coming years, that number is expected to decrease significantly thanks to a new pact that will require dozens of major organizations and multinational brands to cut plastic waste across Australia and the Pacific region.
Called the ANZPAC Plastics Pact, the agreement aims to drastically reduce plastic waste from Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific by 2025. Among the signatories are big brands like Coca-Cola, Nestle, and Woolworths, as well as the Australian Beverages Council, the Australian Food and Grocery Council, and Planet Ark.
By the mid-decade, the signatories are pledging to reach four targets: eliminating unnecessary packaging; making all plastic packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable; increasing the amount of plastic packaging collected to 25 percent; increasing the amount of recycled content used to make packaging to 25 percent.
“What we’re really trying to address here is a systemic problem that says the plastics system is actually broken,” said Brooke Donnelly from the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation. “Our take, make and dispose approach means too much plastics waste is actually ending up in landfill.”
