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

Weet-Bix packs will now include the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL), alerting consumers that 100 per cent of the packaging is recyclable, according to Sanitarium Health Food Company.

The change will take place this month, with Sanitarium Health Food Company executive general manager Todd Saunders saying that if every Weet-Bix consumer recycled the inner, plastic liner through a REDCycle bin, 200 tonnes of plastic would be diverted from landfill every year.

“We want every Aussie kid, young and old, to know that Weet-Bix packaging is 100 per cent recyclable and understand how to do it. We know 60 per cent of customers are looking on pack for information about how to recycle correctly. The launch of the ARL on the iconic Weet-Bix box provides an exciting opportunity to raise awareness and improve recycling habit,” he said.

Sanitarium aim to have 100 per cent of its packaging, across its entire product portfolio, to be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.

Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) CEO Brooke Donnelly said it was great to see the ARL on such an iconic brand with the ability to reach millions of consumers.

“Having Weet-Bix as part of the ARL community will also inspire other manufacturers to join the growing number of members helping Australians to recycle more and correctly. The outcomes from this, and other industry-led initiatives aimed at reducing plastic and other materials from landfill, will help us to achieve the 2025 National Packaging Targets,” Donnelly said.

Sanitarium Health Food Company packaging research development manager Dr. Andrew Whitson said it is an ambitious target.

“The 2025 National Packaging Targets are driving exciting innovation across the entire packaging value chain. While there are some complex technical challenges to overcome, we are committed to working with our partners to find solutions which balance end-of-life considerations with the need to provide consumers with a safe, nutritious, and great tasting product that meets the high-quality standards they have rightly come to expect,” he said.

The ARL will appear on Weet-Box boxes from this month and Sanitarium Peanut Butter and Marmite spreads in the following months.