ANZPAC Pacific EPR Project

ANZPAC launches transformative recovery project in the Pacific with support from FCDO, UK ministerial department and WRAP

10 October 2024


Project Summary

ANZPAC and its Members have developed Circular Pacific Plastics (CPP), a collaborative project aiming to establish take back schemes driven by local knowledge and supported by international brands. This work aims to lay the groundwork towards Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes to collect, recover and reprocess plastic packaging from Pacific Island Countries and finding solutions for the lack of sufficient waste and recycling infrastructure. It is a whole-of-industry project that unites brands with key local decision makers and practitioners to develop regionally relevant, impactful and locally sustainable end-of-life solutions for used plastic packaging.

The CPP project has been designed as a phased approach to be implemented at a national level and replicated across the region. Together with the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and funding from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), we are launching Stage 1 which includes brand driven recovery pilots to test collection and recycling of soft plastics in Fiji. Developed with the local Fijian implementation partner, Pacific Recycling Foundation (PRF), and with the support of major brands, we are conducting Business-to-Consumer (B2C) and Business-to-Business (B2B) recovery trials to understand mechanisms to overcome local challenges of soft plastic collection and recycling.

Key stakeholders involved

This project is a major milestone in connecting international brands with regional opportunities to fulfill their obligations to take responsibility for the packaging they place onto Pacific Island markets.

ANZPAC Members, Nestlé and Colgate-Palmolive are at the forefront of this initiative and demonstrated leadership in this space as the founding brand supporters of the project. ANZPAC has also established an Industry Advisory Group for the duration of this project that will be instrumental in guiding the long-term vision of CPP and effective implementation of Stage 1. At present the Advisory Group consists of key representatives from Nestlé, Colgate-Palmolive, Scion, local Pacific organisations, WRAP, Fijian brands and distributors, and technical consultants.

“Circular Pacific Plastics is a testament to the power of collaboration for circularity in a challenging environment such as remote islands in the Pacific. Major brands, non-for-profits, local communities and businesses working together to develop on the ground recovery projects that are relevant and impactful are key to long-term success of circular approaches in the ANZPAC region.”

Senior ANZPAC Program Manager, Angela Mayer

Context

The ANZPAC region faces challenges arising from the volume of plastic packaging entering member countries and the lack of infrastructure to manage that material at end of life. Soft plastics display a low recovery rate of about 5% across the ANZPAC region, including Australia and New Zealand.

The recovery rate of soft plastics in Pacific Island Countries is as low as 0.2% in some regions, presenting a valuable opportunity for improvement compared to more established systems in Australia and New Zealand, which benefit from economies of scale, experienced public sectors and access to capital. Based on outcomes from a feasibility study that ANZPAC conducted, it is estimated that approximately 21,000 tonnes of plastic packaging (6,500t being soft plastic) are placed on market in Fiji every year. Out of which, over 99% exit the circular economy, with only about 170 tonnes retained for future use. As such, tailored solutions are required to address the negative impacts of plastic pollution on communities, the environment and economies of the Pacific Islands.