Australia Post: giving used plastic another life
All Australia Post plastic satchels will now contain recycled plastic as the organisation delivers on the pledge it made at the National Plastics Summit in March last year.
The move to stop using solely virgin plastic for its core satchel range sees Australia Post playing its part in fulfilling the third 2025 National Packaging Target – to have an average of 50% recycled content included in packaging – four years early.
Australia Post Chief Sustainability Officer, Susan Mizrahi said the change is underpinned by an independent Life Cycle Assessment which showed satchels made with recycled plastic content are the better option for the environment. It also reflects Australia Post’s focus on reducing its environmental impact and helping facilitate a circular economy.
“Every year our customers use and post millions of Australia Post and StarTrack branded satchels, so transitioning these to contain recycled plastic makes it easier for our customers and business to lessen their impact on the environment.
“Not only does using recycled plastic increase the use of recycled materials and give used plastic another life, research shows it also reduces greenhouse gas emissions, non-renewable resource use and water consumption as well.
“This work to transition our satchel range began in 2019, yet it does not stop here. We are focussed on making recycling satchels easier for our customers, including adding re-useable recycled satchels to our range. Additionally, earlier this year we piloted a soft plastic recycling program in partnership with REDcycle in 12 of our Post Offices in NSW and are working closely with Licensed Post Offices across the country to extend access to this service,” Ms Mizrahi said.
Australia Post aims to provide a range of packaging options for its customers that meet their needs and expectations, with the range being manufactured both in Australia and overseas. This announcement confirms the organisation is transitioning over 200 of its plastic satchels to contain recycled plastic.
Australia Post has been a signatory of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) since 2011, 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. The strategy is available at: auspost.com.au/CR.
The full independent Life Cycle Assessment report is available here.
