Ben Hoodless. Image: IFPA ANZ
The International Fresh Produce Association Australia and New Zealand has become a signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO).
IFPA outgoing managing director ANZ Ben Hoodless said packaging was among the hot topics facing the fresh produce and floral industry, especially around the future of Price Look-Up code (PLU) produce stickers and returnable packaging.
Under its industry association membership, IFPA ANZ is entitled to be part of APCO’s problem-solving collective, working in collaboration with local and global sustainability leaders in government, industry, community groups and academia and joining the movement as it transitions to the National Packaging Targets.
The targets include: 100 per cent of packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable; 70 per cent of plastic packaging to be recycled or composted; 50 per cent average recycled content across all packaging; and a phase-out of problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic packaging.
“As an industry, we are failing APCO’s targets – the systems, schemes and infrastructure are not there to support supply chain member efforts. A more realistic target is 2030.
“We need to see more investment from governments into establishing recycling infrastructure if we are to achieve any real traction in this space by 2030,” said Hoodless.
“We can learn from a lot that is happening in other parts of the world such as Canada and Europe. In the United States – particularly California – consumers’ environmental and wellness concerns are driving the debate and instigating legislative changes.
“In Australia to date, packaging regulations have largely been state-based which can cause significant issues for growers and packers who supply across borders (where different regulations apply).
“APCO works closely with the Federal Government to make members’ voices heard at a national level. IFPA ANZ supports a national approach which aims to reduce complexity, inefficiency and cost to the supply chain.”
A 2024 submission to the South Australian government, IFPA ANZ announced its support of a national approach to banning plastic non-compostable PLU stickers and called for compostable adhesive to be excluded from South Australia’s proposed 2025 ban until growers, packers and retailers had more time to phase in approved alternatives.
“Recently at IFPA’s Global Produce and Floral Show in Atlanta, we met a supplier who had developed a PLU sticker with compostable adhesive, that meets USA regulations and that technology is emerging here.
“We’re also seeing the emergence of new technologies such as natural branding of fruit through lasers which looks very interesting,” said Hoodless.
