Redefining Packaging: Innovative Paths to Sustainability
Packaging plays a pivotal role in the retail supply chain and The Sussan Group has been proactive in minimising waste and working towards a circular economy in packaging.
The Group is a member of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), a not-for-profit organisation which has a vision for the future where packaging materials never see the inside of a landfill, where the value of materials, energy, and labour is preserved and reused within the local economy.
This vision isn’t just an ideal but a tangible goal, supported by a robust regulatory framework known as the Australian Packaging Covenant. This framework, under the National Environment Protection (Used Packaging Materials) Measure 2011, defines the collective responsibility of governments and businesses in managing packaging’s environmental impact.
David Nesbitt, Group Ethical Sourcing Manager, says the Group’s 2023 achievements speak volumes.
“We have removed 50,000 plastic tags from belts, 800,000 plastic-based jewellery cards and barcode stickers, and 150,000 plastic-based cards. Approximately 72 percent of our swing tags are FSC certified and we have reduced tissue paper usage by 435,000 pieces—a 15 percent decrease from the previous year,” he says.
“Additionally, the Group has cut down plastic bags on garments by 100,000 and used 250,000 more recycled or FSC-certified cartons. We have recycled 200kg of IT materials, have so far kept 3.2 million single-use plastic bags out of circulation, saved 63 percent of waste from landfill, sent 46 tonnes of cardboard and 11 tonnes of plastic to recyclers, and reused 4,000 cartons in our distribution centres.”
David says that real change comes from collective action and every team member has a role to play.
“As team members, everything we do can make a difference – even a small action by one person can make a big difference. Imagine a world where 7 billion people all do one small thing towards sustainability.”
