Pact Group in $500 million recycling pledge

Packaging company PACT Group has committed to investing $500 million with its partners in existing and new facilities to further the recycling and reuse of plastic materials.

Pact chairman Raphael Geminder made the pledge at a National Plastics Summit at Parliament House, Canberra as part of plans to lead the development of a circular economy.

Last month @AuManufacturing news reported PACT, Cleanaway and Asahi brewery would build a a facility to process up to 28,000 tonnes of plastic bottles and recyclables into flake and food grade pellets to be used as packaging raw material.

Geminder promised significant investments in sustainable packaging, reuse and recycling initiatives and in technology and materials science capabilities to boost recycled content of packaging.

Geminder said: “Pact is already Australia’s biggest recycler and reuser of recycled materials, but we have ambitions to go further.

“Our stated vision is include 30 per cent recycled content across our product portfolio by 2025.

“This would be the equivalent of keeping two billion plastic containers out of landfill.”.

Since 2018 Pact has cut its consumption of expanded polystyrene by 30 per cent and developed recycled PET food trays to replace expanded polystyrene foam trays.

The company’s wheelie bins now contain 40 per cent recycled material and the company plans to build that to 80 per cent.

Image: Pact Group/Raphael Geminder

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