Australia Post has announced that 100 per cent of its entire range of plastic satchels will be made from recycled materials.
The initiative was announced at the National Plastics Summit in Canberra earlier this month and will be in effect by 2021.
Nicole Sheffield, Executive General Manager Community and Consumer said the commitment underlined Australia Post’s drive towards a sustainable future.
“Australia Post continues to incorporate sustainable design principles in the development of our packaging, as we reduce greenhouse gas emmissions, non-renewable resource use and water consumption,” she said.
The announcement follows major retailer and Australia Post customer, Country Road, to launch its first recycled plastic satchel in December 2019.
Nicole said as online shopping grows, Australia Post is focused on reducing the quantity of non-recycled packaging that moves through the network.
The new satchel is made of recycled plastic, sending a clear signal to the market that major Australian brands are committed to eliminating the use of virgin plastic across its packaging supply chain.
Australia Post has been a signatory of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) since 2005, joining other major businesses and Government to set the ambition to achieving national packaging targets.
Since the launch of its Environmental Action Plan in 2018, Australia Post has been incorporating sustainability principles in the design and production of its packaging, a commitment that is reiterated in its 2020-2022 Group Corporate Responsibility Plan
Last year Australia Post also teamed up with REDCycle to offer its customers access to more than 1,800 soft plastics recycling points at major supermarkets across Australia.