Member for Warren Blackwood, Terry Redman has commended the Southern Forests Food Council’s response to consumer demand to introduce eco-packaging initiatives.
The Southern Forests Food Council (SFFC) was founded in 2010 by a group of passionate local producers who received a $5 million investment through Royalties for Regions to kick-start their marketing efforts.
Mr Redman said it was important for producers and businesses to adopt eco-friendly packaging to reduce the significantly high levels of plastics and polystyrenes being used and ending up in landfill.
“The SFFC has recently introduced a fibre eco-friendly punnet for its apple pre-pack range which is fantastic and the prepacks will be featured in a joint marketing campaign with the retail outlet IGA later this month,” Mr Redman said.
“The commitment by SFFC to support the Australian Government’s target of 100% packaging being recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025 is to be commended and I would urge other producers and manufacturers to take on this approach.
“The banning of plastic shopping bags has been a positive first step, but we need to address the over-use of non-compostable packaging we are seeing at alarming levels in our supermarket aisles.
“We are experiencing an accelerated demand for environmentally friendly packaging as plastics have rightly become the enemy of the environment.
“I understand there are 78 million metric tons of plastic packaging produced globally each year, of that only 14 percent is recycled.
“We have to do better than that if we are to protect our environment for future generations.
“Government and industry should as a priority continue to explore new forms of packaging to replace single use plastics and consumers need to be more active in saying no to purchasing products encased in plastic.
“Currently, recyclable packaging options are still new and come with a higher price for manufacturers and producers, however, consumers often choose to buy a more ethical or sustainable product when they feel the cost is justified.
“Supermarkets could devote an aisle to plastic free offerings, wrapped or contained in cardboard, metal, glass or certified compostable plastic. I believe consumers would reward them on such an approach.”
Mr Redman said our pristine environment needs protecting and it is beholden upon us all to reduce the levels of plastics we use in our everyday lives. Our future depends upon it.
