The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) CEO Brooke Donnelly announced on her LinkedIn profile that she will soon be moving on from her role.

After five years in the role, Donnelly said she felt it was the right time for a new challenge. She will leave the organisation at the end of July and assist with the transition to a new CEO in the interim.

APCO said it is in the process of recruiting for the role.

“I am so grateful and humbled to have been afforded the opportunity to forge and lead an amazing team that has created environmental, behavioural and business transformation on a national scale,” she said, in the post.

“Importantly, in this last five years I have enjoyed the support of a wonderful board, I have been mentored by our chair, Sam Andersen, and some truly fantastic directors who have taught me what it means to be a leader who acts with true integrity, dignity and compassion.

“I have been privileged to work with a series of ministers and government departments across both Federal and State/Territories, as well as industry champions across 153 different sectors. I wish I could acknowledge each of you individually here – the awesome APCO team, our board, our industry champions, our government colleagues, our APCO partners and our international community of sustainability advocates.

“Seeing as that is not practical, I will look forward to catching up with you all over the coming months as I work towards my final day in July.

“Finally, I have been in the recycling, sustainability and circular economy space for 28 years and I have never known it to be as progressive as it is right now. Therefore I believe this is the right call for both myself and APCO and I am confident there is a big, bold and bright future for all of us.”

Under Donnelly’s leadership, APCO:

– Was reinvigorated and regained government trust to influence policy on a national scale.

– Membership grew from 700 to 2,200, expanding the geographical scope to regional participants and global participants.

– Led the nation in setting the National Packaging Targets as the way forward to achieve circularity in packaging.

– Developed consistent reporting of the packaging value chain.

– Established strong partnerships with Planet Ark, PREP and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

– Developed and launched a regional approach to tackle plastic packaging waste in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands through the ANZPAC Plastics Pact.

– Initiated game changing programs of work which have informed government and Members of the challenges ahead.

– Engaged over 750 companies to participate in the ARL and work together to design packaging that is recyclable, reusable or compostable.

– Collaborated with organisations across the supply chain to develop innovative solutions to Australia’s most pressing sustainable packaging challenges.

“Everyone at APCO would like to place their sincere thanks to Brooke on record and wish her all the best for the future,” APCO said.