Food and beverage companies awarded for sustainability

Hosted on 23 August in Melbourne, the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation’s (APCO) annual awards celebrated organisations that promoted sustainable packaging. A total of 21 businesses from several different industries were commended for their efforts, with The Smith’s Snackfood Company & Sakata Rice Snacks Australia, Pernod Ricard Winemakers and Rawbone Pet Foods being named as winners.

Representing the food and beverages industry, The Smith’s Snackfood Company & Sakata Rice Snacks Australia improved efficiencies in waste management and achieved a recycling rate of 86%. The company also won the APCO award for Outstanding Achievement in Design.

“We continue to drive packaging and waste reduction and efficiency, closely monitoring our performance to achieve ongoing improvements. Being part of the Australian Packaging Covenant has helped us to contribute in a meaningful way to our global PepsiCo sustainability agenda, and packaging sustainability will remain a key focus for the business,” said Janine Cannell, Australia and New Zealand Environment Manager.

Pernod Ricard Winemakers Operations Director Australia Robert Taddeo commented that their sustainable packaging vision aligns closely with APCO. This resulted in the company being recognised for its use of light weighting glass and label size reduction.

However, Rawbone Pet Foods, makers of 4Legs dog food, took home the final award as it made extensive efforts to embed sustainability principles with suppliers and customers, resulting in packaging optimisations and reduced waste.

Other finalists in the food and beverage industry included: Nestlé Australia, Mars Australia, Kellogg Australia, Campbell Arnotts Australia, Chobani, LION, Snack Foods, C.A. Henschke & Company and Buderim Ginger.

“With the spotlight now firmly on the waste and recycling industries, there has never been a better time for Australian businesses to reduce their environmental footprint. We commend all our finalists and award winners who are leading their industries toward a more sustainable future, and toward an Australia where packaging resources are used and disposed of wisely to minimise our environmental impact,” said APCO’s interim CEO, Brooke Donnelly.