Metcash has announced it will be supporting the National Plastics Recycling Scheme (NPRS) to help establish a circular economy for household soft plastics.
Metcash is the first grocery retailer to officially sign on to support the NPRS by providing packaging data from its private label grocery products, as well as financial support and insights to shape and further promote the program.
Estella Young, Executive General Manager, Merchandise, Metcash Food, said part of Metcash’s vision is to create a sustainable future, and supporting the NPRS aligns with Metcash’s priorities of increasing the use of sustainable packaging in its products and reducing packaging waste in its supply chain.
“In addition to existing initiatives we have in place to reduce waste to landfill in our distribution centres and independent retail network, by supporting the NPRS we will accelerate new packaging solutions and further help our shoppers recycle their soft-plastic household waste as conveniently as possible.”
The NPRS aims to increase the availability of food-grade recycled content in packaging, incentivise sustainable packaging design and increase the recycling rate of soft plastics.
To date, the NPRS has focused on trialling kerbside collections of soft plastic household waste for recycling into food-grade plastic packaging as part of a new, onshore circular system.
“We recognise the opportunity the NPRS presents to advance our progress on reducing waste to landfill through working cooperatively with industry on a scalable, long-lasting solution that is accessible to all Australians,” said Young.
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