APCO statement on REDcycle
Wednesday 9 November 2022
As of 9 November, REDcycle has temporarily paused its operations.
After being made aware of the severity of the situation last week, APCO has commenced an independent review of soft plastics recycling. APCO is committed to working with brand owners, and the packaging, waste recovery and recycling industries to resolve this issue and explore pathways moving forward.
Chris Foley, APCO CEO, said: “We know that soft plastic is a challenging packaging material for Australia and we have to get better at managing it. This is a short-term glitch in the system largely related to the pandemic coinciding with unforeseen challenges experienced by reprocessing partners. Strong, positive moves for soft plastics recycling are on the horizon - capital investment is happening and capacity will soon be coming through.
“While it's disappointing to see the program be put on hold, this is a good opportunity for Australia's brand owners and the packaging and recycling industries to pause and reset on how we manage soft plastics. This reset will allow Australia to build ongoing sustainable pathways for soft plastic and APCO is working with industry stakeholders to resolve the issue and develop a strong, permanent solution.”
Media contact
Alex Whitaker
0423410353
ABOUT AUSTRALIAN PACKAGING COVENANT ORGANISATION
The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) is the agency charged by government to make all packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. To achieve this goal, APCO is working closely with government and industry to deliver a range of sustainable design, recycling, waste to landfill reduction and circular economy projects. Recognised as one of Australia’s leading product stewardship organisations with a strong national and global collaborative network, APCO is committed to reducing the environmental impact of packaging on Australian communities by moving towards a circular economy.
For more information about APCO visit: www.apco.org.au