This article was first published in Convenience and Impulse Retailing, authored by Tom Oakley-Newell

The Australian Dairy Sustainable Packaging Roadmap was recently launched by the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), Dairy Australia and Australian Dairy Products Federation, with a target of 100 per cent reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025.

Other key targets include collection and recycling systems available for all dairy packaging by 2025, 80 per cent of supermarket products to be labelled with the Australasian Recycling Label by December 2023, and 50 per cent average post-consumer recycled content across all dairy packaging by 2025.

Aldi Australia chiller and alcohol group buying director Adrian Nel said the company is proud to endorse the roadmap, a first-of-its-kind for the Australian dairy sector.

“Australia’s dairy sector has worked tirelessly to identify opportunities and challenges as well as outline strategies for improvement, and Aldi is excited to do our part in supporting the collective industry vision to establish a sustainable packaging future,” Nel said.

The voluntary roadmap will work towards key packaging targets and outcomes by 2025, including the 2025 National Packaging Targets, the ADIC Dairy Sustainability Framework, the Australian Government’s National Waste Policy and corresponding Action Plan, and the National Plastics Plan.

Nel added that the roadmap’s targets and strategies are closely aligned with Aldi’s own Plastics and Packaging commitments, announced in 2019.

“This includes a goal to reduce plastic packaging across all own-branded products by 25 per cent by 2025 as well as achieving 100 per cent recyclable, reusable or compostable packaging by 2025. From the outset, Aldi recognised that we can only achieve these goals and have a collective impact by partnering closely with our suppliers,” he said.