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The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) will develop Australia’s largest industry-led plastic recycling scheme to collect and recycle nearly 190,000 tonnes of plastic packaging a year by 2025.

The National Plastics Recycling Scheme (NPRS) will be supported by funding from the federal government’s National Product Stewardship Investment Fund (PSIF).

The initial focus will be on increasing the diversion of soft plastics such as bread, cereal and frozen vegetable bags, confectionery wrappers and toilet paper wrap from landfill. It will then progress to support the increased recycling of other plastics that are currently difficult to collect and/or recycle.

As an industry-led and funded scheme, the NPRS will coordinate and focus the efforts of well-known food and grocery brands to significantly increase the recycling and reuse of plastic packaging.

This will build on existing soft plastics recycling initiatives including the industry funded REDcycle program and the soft plastic kerbside collection trial run by Nestlé, as well as projects and research by the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation.

AFGC CEO Tanya Barden said: “Over many years, brand owners have invested in packaging innovations that reduce food waste and have moved to using lighter-weight plastics that have a lower carbon footprint.

“Continuing the focus on packaging sustainability, the NPRS will increase the recycling rates of identified plastics and reduce the amount of virgin plastic used in packaging, helping to meet Australia’s National Packaging Targets.”

The National Packaging Targets include a goal of recycling or composting 70 percent plastic packaging and incorporating an average of 50 percent recycled content across all packaging by 2025.

"We’re excited about developing a circular economy in collaboration with our members, who comprise nearly 80 percent of packaged food and grocery sales, as well as governments, retailers, plastics and packaging companies, and the resource recovery industry,” Barden said.

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