The Packaging Council of New Zealand (PAC.NZ) and the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) have announced a new collaborative Trans-Tasman agreement to drive packaging sustainability.
The two organisations have proved Kiwis and Aussies can get along just fine, signing a memorandum of understanding at the Packaging & Processing Innovation and Design Awards held in Sydney on March 8. Under the agreement, PAC.NZ and APCO will work together to share knowledge, support research, address regional sustainability policy issues, collaborate on member resources and solve common problems for consumer packaging and the packaging supply chain.
Trish Hyde, APCO chief executive officer, sees this as a significant step forward for packaging sustainability in Australasia. She says, “Both our organisations are working towards common goals and objectives, and this agreement allows us to take a Trans-Tasman approach and strengthen partnerships, embrace innovation and better support our members.”
Harry Burkhardt, president of PAC.NZ, agrees. He says, “Many APC and PAC.NZ members operate across both New Zealand and Australia so it is vital that we share knowledge and work together.
“We look forward to collaboratively working towards a seamless integration between initiatives, which are adopted by members of the Australian Packaging Covenant being applied in the New Zealand context. This will include sharing reporting tools that will enable our members to undertake peer-to-peer assessment with their Australian counterparts.”
