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Manufacturers urged to set 2025 recyclable packaging targets

(Source: Bigstock)

A new initiative aims to challenge major brands to use more recycled materials in packaging. 

The Recycled Materials Pledge, instituted by the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (Apco), will urge retailers to publicly commit to recycling specific volumes of virgin materials into recycled matter.

The latest figures from the 2025 National Packaging Targets show that nearly 39 per cent of packaging content is recycled, well short of the target of 50 per cent. The agency says the process lags in material-specific targets, particularly plastic packaging.

Brooke Donnelly, CEO of Apco, said the pledge will give a new momentum to the uptake of recycled content. 

“An item of packaging is only truly recycled when it is used again, so the importance of this initiative cannot be overstated. Significantly reducing our reliance on virgin materials will decrease the pressure we put on the planet’s finite resources and ensure that valuable materials are not simply lost to landfill.”

For some businesses, the pledge is the initial step in their sustainability journey while for others it might forge current commitments to circularity, she said.

The pledge is modelled after similar programs in Europe and will assist in increasing the use of recycled content.

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