Richard Fine Named Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Packaging
Twenty years ago, Richard Fine set out to bring compostable foodservice packaging to Australia, and to many Australian's, it was an unfamiliar idea. His belief was simple: packaging should be designed with its end of life in mind, and business could be a force for positive environmental change.
That belief has now been recognised at the highest level. Richard has been named a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP) at the 2026 PIDA Awards - one of the Institute's highest honours, recognising his role pioneering compostable foodservice packaging in Australia.
Two decades of pushing for better
Progress has never been simple. Better materials are only one piece of the puzzle - collection systems, composting infrastructure, regulation, customer behaviour and economics all have to work together for real change to happen.
Through initiatives like Compost Connect, alongside BioPak's broader sustainability efforts, Richard has helped drive practical solutions that support the circular economy and create lasting impact beyond packaging itself.
A shared achievement
The BioPak team, customers, suppliers, composters and industry partners have all worked hard to turn an ambitious idea into practical, commercially viable solutions.
There's still much more work to do - and BioPak remains committed as ever to improving the environmental outcomes of foodservice packaging across the industry.
Congratulations Richard on this significant achievement.