RAC Arena is on track to become one of the most sustainable entertainment venues in Australia, taking giant strides toward a landfill diversion rate of 70%.
If you’re in Australia, you’ve no doubt heard of RAC Arena – Perth’s home of live music, sport, comedy and entertainment. The arena has hosted several world-class events, including UFC 284, Telethon 7 2022 and Billie Eilish. But in 2023, RAC Arena has made headlines for different reasons – an ambitious goal to become the most sustainable venue in Australia.
By partnering with BioPak, Compost Connect and WRITE Solutions, RAC Arena delivers circular foodservice packaging solutions. Since the start of the year, the venue has recycled more than 34 tonnes of cardboard and glass and diverted almost 38 tonnes of organics and compostable packaging from landfill.
The Challenge: Big Events Equate to Big Waste
RAC Arena recognises that huge events can produce a huge amount of waste.
But rather than taking a defeatist approach and avoiding taking action, they’re implementing sustainable and circular packaging solutions to tackle the enormous waste problem.
Together with BioPak, Compost Connect and WRITE Solutions, RAC Arena has set out to change people’s perceptions of event waste, serving as an inspiration in the events industry across WA and beyond.
Food and Packaging Waste Goes Full Circle
RAC Arena has achieved incredible sustainability results that will help transform the live entertainment industry.
RAC Arena has implemented BioPak’s certified compostable packaging made from plant-based, rapidly renewable materials – but not only that – they’ve considered end-of-life disposal by installing green bins for food and packaging waste.
BioPak Certified Compostable Packaging
RAC Arena is swapping single-use plastic packaging for reusable cups in retail bars and BioPak’s certified compostable alternatives.
At BioPak, we’re thrilled to be working with RAC Arena, ensuring food products are served in packaging made from responsibly sourced, rapidly renewable plant-based resources – designed to be composted at the end of its life.
We see compostable packaging as the ideal choice for the events industry. That’s because food scraps and packaging can all go in one bin, the organic bin, to be composted at home or industrially.
The foodservice packaging supplied to RAC Arena is certified home compostable (AS5810) or industrially compostable (AS4736) to Australian and New Zealand Standards.
This enables all food and packaging waste to be collected and turned into nutrient-rich compost, via Compost Connect and Write Solutions.
Compost Connect: Connecting RAC Arena With Write Solutions
Compost Connect is a not-for-profit composting initiative connecting businesses and events to organic waste pickup services. Compost Connect is proud to partner with WRITE Solutions and facilitate ongoing partnerships like this one.
Through Compost Connect, RAC Arena discovered Perth-based waste management firm WRITE Solutions – a team that’s worked to create a sustainability roadmap and end-of-life disposal solution.
Instead of adding to landfill, Compost Connect helps turn food and packaging waste into a nutrient-rich resource that captures carbon, promotes healthy soil, and has flow-on effects for plants and the planet.
Write Solutions
Write Solutions is a team of sustainability consulting experts, facilitating waste collection and commercial composting of food waste and compostable packaging.
“Our mission is to change people’s perceptions of waste and working with a venue like RAC Arena provides us the perfect platform,” WRITE Solutions managing director Daragh Maher said.
At BioPak, we recognise how important it is to correctly dispose of our compostable products – this allows us to fully realise our product’s benefits and embrace a circular economy. That’s why we’re thrilled to work alongside organisations like Write Solutions.
In collaboration with WRITE Solutions, patrons and staff are encouraged to dispose of their waste appropriately using one of four bins: Landfill, Organic, Stack Cups, and the Containers for Change bin.
Sustainability Results
RAC Arena has truly championed the circular economy and put its sustainability plan into action.
Since partnering with BioPak, Compost Connect and Write Solutions, RAC Arena has diverted almost 38 tonnes of organics and compostable packaging from landfill.
They’ve sent 37,930kg of organics and compostable packaging to a commercial composting facility, which equates to eliminating 72,067kg of CO2 emissions from the atmosphere, or the equivalent of powering one household for 6434 days.
But it’s not just compostable solutions where RAC Arena is driving results – they’ve also diverted more than 120,000 containers as part of the Containers for Change program, recycled 7860kg of cardboard, and recycled 8910kg of glass.
Deservedly, RAC Arena was awarded Venue of the Year at the 2023 Australian Event Awards and Symposium. This is a national awards program and conference for the Australian events industry, with a focus on excellence, innovation and unity.
RAC Arena was commended for its leadership and innovation – and rightly so.
At BioPak, we hope RAC Arena becomes a benchmark and example for other arenas and entertainment venues throughout Australia – truly proving that circularity and sustainability is possible.
