A new industry alliance - the Australian Fibre Based Packaging Alliance - was formed last month with the mission to improve credibility and recognition of fibre-based packaging, uniting some major players across the packaging industry. In this interview, John Bigley, CEO of Zipform Packaging, explains the background of the alliance and discusses the challenges that lie ahead.
Driven by Zipform Packaging, Huhtamaki and Tetra Pak, the newly forged Australian Fibre Based Packaging Alliance (AFBPA) is set to become a major force in improving recognition for fibre-based packaging within a sustainable and circular economy.
John Bigley, CEO of Zipform Packaging, explains further,
“There was a feeling amongst fibre-based packaging manufacturers that whilst the move to paperisation was gathering momentum, it was not necessarily being represented effectively across the whole value chain in the Australasian market due to lack of industry co-ordination. With all three businesses manufacturing fibre-based packaging, we are fully invested in finding a solution – and so the Alliance was created.”
With the Alliance still in the early stages, the founding members are raising awareness about the formation and purpose of the Alliance and are talking to interested parties across the whole value chain.
Why did Zipform Packaging become involved in the Alliance?
We are very passionate about fibre-based packaging and have been frustrated for some time that some fibre-based packaging structures have not been given a positive outcome through the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) process despite good pulpability results.
In a market where recovery rates for plastic are very low and fibre is relatively high, we want to ensure that we get even more good quality fibre recycled. This will also ensure that it feeds into the post-consumer recycled content stream and further support a circular economy. We view the AFBPA as a powerful and effective vehicle to improve the credibility and recognition of fibre-based packaging within a sustainable, circular economy.
What kind of structure and deliverables do you envision for the AFBPA?
We are in the early days of establishing a governance framework and identifying members, but our aim is to move reasonably quickly to set goals and objectives. We will also need to set a clear roadmap around increasing the percentage of fibre-based packaging that is recycled compared to current levels. This will be made possible through the improved collection and sorting capabilities that we aim to achieve through effective collaboration.
As an alliance that spans cross-industry, it is important to have core members who are representative of the whole value chain. We anticipate that there will be a small group of core members, supported by affiliate members. Membership could include brand owners, retailers, raw material and packaging manufacturers plus key players in the waste and recycling industry.
How do you see this advancing innovation in packaging, such as Zipform Packaging’s paper fibre bottle?
Any promotion of fibre-based packaging formats will, of course, be supported by science and data, however beyond that I see the Alliance serving as a platform that will support and promote innovation in fibre packaging industry by bringing industry stakeholders together.
Importantly, consumer education is also a key driver for adoption of new packaging formats so the Alliance can also help in raising the general awareness of the benefits of a paper fibre bottle versus alternatives such as glass and plastic.
The Australian Fibre Based Packaging Alliance (AFBPA) is set to launch formally during the second half of 2025.