[ sustainability ]
LET’S TALK RUBBISH!
Sustainable packaging, recycling and waste management are hot topics. A climate emergency is happening, landfills are overloaded, and Certified compostable the recycling industry is in crisis says Richard Fine, Founder and Independent third party certification is crucial to validate environmental Sustainability Director BioPak. claims and provide assurance to composters, business owners and “Yet our collective consumption habits aren’t slowing down. In New consumers that if correctly disposed of, our products will close the loop Zealand alone, more than one million tonnes of plant matter and food and return valuable nutrients back into the soil. scraps are sent to landfills each year, representing about 320 kilograms of Loren Walker from Reclaim says: “Reclaim requires any packaging organic matter for each one of us,” says Fine. we collect as part of our compostable recycling service to be certified Industrial composting presents a huge opportunity to prevent food commercially compostable. These certifications ensure that the waste and compostable packaging from ending up in landfills where it compostable packaging can sufficiently decompose in a commercial otherwise releases methane – a greenhouse gas 80 times more potent composting facility within the required timeframes and that no than CO2, which contributes to climate change detrimental contaminants enter the compost (source). There is however a lot of confusion stream. By collecting BioPak compostable “COMPOSTABLE surrounding how it actually all works, and if packaging, we are ensuring that it is turned PACKAGING IS PART OF packaging is actually being composted. into nutrient compost, rather than going “Let’s set the record straight. Compostable to landfill where it would release the potent THE SOLUTION.” packaging is part of the solution,” says Fine. gas, methane. Our plantRICHARD FINE, FOUNDER greenhouse “Composting is nature’s recycling solution based compostable foodservice packaging AND SUSTAINABILITY for organic materials - compostable packaging is certified to Australian and European enables the diversion of food scraps and food compost standards. We are also in the midst DIRECTOR BIOPAK contaminated packaging from landfill which of including the compost Seedling and reduces the environmental impact of methane Home Compost logo on our products to emissions. In New Zealand, there are 11 industrial composting facilities help consumers select the right disposal path for our products – truly that accept food scraps and certified compostable packaging.” supporting the circular economy.” 26
FMCG BUSINESS - SEPTEMBER 2019