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PROGRESS REPORT

Emissions Reduction

At BioPak, our dedication to fighting climate change is stronger than ever. For over a decade, we held the carbon-neutral certification, but in 2022, we took a bold step forward by redirecting 1% of our profits into our Emission Reduction Plan, supporting research, education, advocacy and initiatives that promote carbon reduction and composting in our markets. Traditional carbon offsetting wasn’t enough, and we knew it was time to make a significant change. Since then, we’ve invested these funds and significant resources into a more effective and progressive sustainability strategy that delivers clear results and guides our business decisions.

Understanding our total carbon footprint is essential to driving meaningful change. We remain accountable by working with independent third parties to measure our carbon emissions, both operationally and during product manufacturing. We’re committed to transparency—identifying where our emissions come from and how we’re working to reduce them. Our company's emissions span from our office operations to our value chain, which includes the entire product lifecycle: product transportation, packaging production, raw material extraction and end-of-life emissions. We report on BioPak’s overall emissions in this annual progress report.

In 2024, BioPak has set near and long-term company-wide emissions reduction targets in line with climate science through the SBTi Net-Zero Standard. We’ve also updated our Emissions Reduction Plan to include a clear roadmap that addresses all areas of our company’s emissions, with a strong focus on reducing emissions across our value chain, which make up 79% of our total emissions. Our carbon emissions for each product are publicly available via the Environmental Impact Label on our website, as we commit to full transparency. 

As BioPak grows, tracking and meeting these targets will become more challenging. However, we are just as committed to our reduction goals as we are to being transparent about where we can improve. We understand we can’t achieve this alone, but together with our partners and customers, we can pave the way for a more sustainable world for future generations.

Visit Our Sustainability Page >


Lea Maguero
Head of Sustainability



Understanding BioPak’s Carbon Footprint

*We have changed the methodology for calculating our emissions. We now use Pickler, a software tool designed specifically for the packaging industry that simplifies the process of calculating the environmental impact of packaging through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)


79% Product Emissions

The largest contributor to our overall carbon footprint lies in our products. This includes raw materials, product manufacturing and end-of-life emissions. Working with our direct and indirect supply chain to reduce emissions associated with manufacturing isn’t an easy task, but it's an essential piece of the puzzle and a challenge we’re taking on. Learn more about Addressing Scope 3 emissions.

20% Product Freight

As a global brand that distributes products, freight emissions are inherent. However, we work with our logistics partners to optimise our freight routes and container loading while also avoiding airfreight as much as possible. Lower-emission fuel vehicles and alternatives to combustion engine vehicles aren’t available at scale just yet, but we’re watching this space with anticipation.

<1% Organisation Operations

As a fast-growing company of over 200, we’re continuously working to reduce the emissions associated with organisation operations. Some of our initiatives include composting office waste and sourcing renewable energy. Learn more about Addressing Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.



BioPak Commits to Reaching Net-Zero GHG Emissions Across Our Value Chain by 2050

BioPak is proud to align with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)-approved target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. This target reflects our commitment to ambitious emissions reductions in line with the latest climate science.

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a global body enabling businesses to set ambitious emissions reductions targets in line with the latest climate science. It is focused on accelerating companies across the world to halve emissions before 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions before 2050.

BioPak is aligned with the following approved near and long-term science-based emissions reduction targets approved* by SBTi:

Near-Term Targets

  • reduce absolute scope 1 and 2** GHG emissions by 57.1% by 2030 from a 2019 base year.
  • reduce absolute scope 3*** GHG emissions by 46.2% within the same timeframe.

Long-Term Targets

  • reduce absolute scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions by 90% by 2050 from a 2019 base year

* These targets were validated for our major shareholder, Duni Group
**Scope 1 and 2 emissions are emissions from the Group's own operations and the energy it uses. We aim to reduce these emissions by 57.1% from 2019 levels.
***Scope 3 emissions are emissions from the Group's value chain (upstream and downstream supply chain) and the use of its products. We aim to reduce these emissions by 46.2% from 2019 levels.

 



Why This Matters and What’s Net-Zero?

Net-zero means that BioPak aims to reduce our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to as close to zero as possible. This involves:

  • Reducing emissions in absolute terms: Significantly cutting down the GHGs produced by our operations, products, and supply chain.
  • Neutralising residual emissions: After reducing emissions as much as possible, any remaining emissions are balanced by removing an equivalent amount of GHGs from the atmosphere, often through methods like carbon capture or reforestation.
About Net-Zero and the Science Based Targets Initiative


How Are We Reducing Emissions?

Our Emissions Reduction Plan is built around four essential steps: measure, report, plan, and reduce. These steps drive our commitment to understanding, transparency, and accountability. When measuring our carbon emissions, we align with the three Greenhouse Gas Protocol categories: Scope 1 (Direct Emissions), Scope 2 (Indirect Emissions from Energy), and Scope 3 (Indirect Value Chain Emissions), with Scope 3 representing the largest impact. 

By identifying which areas of BioPak’s operations contribute most significantly to our emissions, we can make informed decisions that guide our actions toward a more sustainable future.



Emissions Reduction Highlights

Scope 1

Direct Emissions – reduce direct emissions from BioPak-owned facilities.

How We’re Addressing Scope 1:

Electric Vehicles

The UK is the only region where we have company cars, and these are electric.

Recycling

All of our offices have a recycling program in place for paper, metal, glass and plastics. Our Sydney Head Office directs food waste from landfill via an organic waste collection.

Scope 2

Indirect Emissions from Energy – reduce indirect emissions that result from purchased electricity, heating, or cooling that BioPak uses.

How We’re Addressing Scope 2:

Green Energy

We purchase certified Green Energy for our Australian and New Zealand offices and are developing plans for renewable energy installation at BioPak’s UK office and warehouse with hopes to begin solar panel installation by 2025.

Focusing on Energy Efficiency

In addition to sourcing renewable energy, we’ve put greater emphasis on purchasing energy-efficient appliances, when required, and reducing energy consumption in our offices through efficient and automatic lighting.

Scope 3

Indirect Emissions – reduce emissions from the entire BioPak lifecycle, including production, transportation, disposal, supply chain and employee commuting.

How We’re Addressing Scope 3:

Reduce Energy Consumption

Working with our supply chain to reduce emissions associated with manufacturing and warehousing isn’t an easy task – but it's an essential piece of the puzzle. Last year, we co-designed new manufacturing processes for our plant fibre pulp products. This has reduced the energy required to mould the products by 40%. We’re also working with our warehousing partners to encourage them to purchase renewable energy, similar to what has been done at our New Zealand warehouses.

Focus on Lower Carbon Footprint Products

With 79% of our emissions coming from product emissions, this is an area we can make a big difference.

Plant Fibre Cutlery offers a carbon footprint that’s about seven times lower and an eco-cost of nearly one-sixth of PLA cutlery. Expanding our plant fibre product range enables us to significantly reduce emissions from the products contributing most to our overall carbon footprint.

Switching to plant fibre We’re encouraging our customers to replace plastic or PLA Lids with our new plastic-free Plant Fibre Lids with no added PFAS. By expanding our plant fibre range, we’re mitigating excess emissions associated with plastic alternatives. Not only that, plant fibre is a byproduct of sugarcane production, which means we’re helping reuse a material that would otherwise go to waste or be incinerated.

Recycled paper used in paper bags has a lower carbon footprint than its virgin paper counterpart.

New PHA Lining is a low-carbon product lining alternative when compared to PLA and Aqueous.

Looking to Reduce and Decarbonise Freight & Transport

Freight optimisation - We work with our logistics partners to optimise our freight routes and container loading. We avoid airfreighting as much as possible.

Decarbonising freight will be a key step in BioPak’s emissions reduction plan when low-carbon technology is available at scale. For now, BioPak AU and UK are working with transport providers that share a common goal of not just tracking carbon emissions but who also are working to achieve net-zero by 2050. BioPak is looking into expanding electrified freight across all regions in addition to freight optimisation.

End-of-life Advocacy & Education

With end-of-life disposal being a sizable contributor to our emissions, our goal is to reduce our carbon footprint by expanding industrial composting accessibility, educating end consumers about correct disposal, and increasing the number of households that compost at home.

Compost Connect is our not-for-profit product stewardship program dedicated to education, lifting composting rates, and connecting foodservice businesses to commercial composters. By working collaboratively with the packaging sector, foodservice sector and composting industries, we aim to increase composting rates in the markets we operate in.

In November 2024, we launched an Australian educational campaign, Compost for Climate, that’s designed to inspire conversation and action around composting – building on the success Compost Connect has achieved in recent years.

We’re looking to launch Compost Connect Hong Kong in 2025.

Carbon Labelling and Eco-Costs – by partnering with Pickler, a progressive fast-track Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) software dedicated to understanding packaging’s environmental impact, BioPak can now understand and inform our customers about a product’s individual carbon footprint and how that translates to more tangible metrics such as eco-costs. This can raise awareness and allow customers to make more environmentally informed purchasing decisions.

End-of-Life assumptions – Pickler's Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) incorporates end-of-life (EoL) disposal options tailored to each region and material type. These options may include recycling, landfill, and incineration, depending on the specific region and product. Regional EoL assumptions are determined by Pickler using national disposal data. When a scenario with 100% landfill disposal is modeled in Pickler, product emissions can rise significantly, highlighting the critical role of proper EoL treatment and the benefits provided by Compost Connect.




Embracing Transparency: Environmental Impact Labels

In 2024, BioPak launched its Environmental Impact Label designed to increase transparency, accountability and BioPak’s commitment to combating industry wide greenwashing. 

In partnership with Pickler, the new tool uses clear and accurate data to outline the environmental impact associated with our products and aims to make sustainable decision-making as easy as possible for customers.

The label is available for each product on our website and links to a comprehensive report detailing the product’s carbon footprint and ‘eco-cost,’ along with the methodology and sources used for calculations. 

BioPak utilises this data to identify areas with the greatest potential for environmental impact reduction at every stage of the product lifecycle, enabling customers to track our progress on their behalf.

We believe that by providing this information, we can enhance customer education, guide decisions, and contribute to climate change mitigation efforts, setting a precedent for the packaging industry to follow.

This environment impact label will be displayed on all products online.

The Environmental Impact Report includes:

Carbon Footprint: Carbon footprint is a simple way to communicate our impact on climate change. A product’s carbon footprint refers to the total greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere from creating that particular product. It’s measured across its full life cycle, including raw materials, production, transport, and end-of-life. Carbon footprint is expressed as ‘CO2-eq’ (meaning CO2 equivalent), a metric that translates all greenhouse gases into the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide.

Eco-Cost: The concept of ‘eco-costs’, calculated per carton, is an easy and practical guide that places a monetary value on the environmental costs of a product and goes beyond simply measuring carbon emissions, using four key categories: impact on climate change, impact in nature, impact on human health and impact on material scarcity. This is not to be misinterpreted as a hidden fee or added cost – it has no impact on the price of our products. BioPak utilises this data solely to identify areas with the greatest potential for environmental impact reduction and provide an additional metric for product comparison.



Our Progress

SCOPE 1: DIRECT EMISSIONS

[COMPLETE] Update Emissions Reduction Plan

We have released our updated BioPak’s Emissions Reduction Plan with the goals to measure, report, plan, and reduce our carbon emissions in order to meet our near and long term reduction goals for Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.

[COMPLETE]  Electric vehicles

Our company vehicles in the UK are electric. We don’t have company cars in other locations.

[COMPLETE]  Scope 1 Emission Reduction Target

BioPak is committed to reducing its company-wide emissions in line with climate science with the SBTi. We commit to reducing our absolute scope 1 GHG emissions by 57.1% by 2030 and achieve a 90% reduction by 2050, relative to a 2019 base year.*

[ON TRACK]  Office recycling and composting programs

AAll offices have a recycling program for paper, metal, glass and plastics.

In our Sydney headquarters, we compost all organic waste. Our new office in London also offers recycling and composting.

[ON TRACK]  Start a staff training and awareness program

All new employees are provided with a sustainability training and awareness program that has been expanded to include education on product carbon footprints. During the implementation of the Environmental Impact Label, we’ve gained valuable insights from staff on how product carbon footprints are understood, and we aim to keep receiving feedback on how to best use these metrics. The sustainability team plans to regularly update the company on our annual emissions and progress toward our Net Zero commitment.

[DELAYED]  Reduce business trips

We now have a travel policy to avoid unnecessary trips, in favour of video calls, wherever possible. However, we’ve observed an increase in business trips due to our growth and business expansion overseas.

SCOPE 2: INDIRECT EMISSIONS FROM ENERGY

[COMPLETE]  Renewable energy in our New Zealand and Australian operations

We purchase certified Green Energy for our Australian, New Zealand and UK offices.

[ON TRACK]  Scope 2 Emission Reduction Target

BioPak is committed to reducing its company-wide emissions in line with climate science with the SBTi. We commit to reducing our absolute scope 2 GHG emissions by 57.1% by 2030 and achieve a 90% reduction by 2050, relative to a 2019 base year.*

[DELAYED]  Renewable energy in our UK operations

Though our new London office purchases renewable energy, we have delayed solar installation at our warehouse in the UK as logistics arrangements are being reviewed.

SCOPE 3: INDIRECT EMISSIONS

[COMPLETE]  Scope 3 Emission Reduction Target

BioPak commits to reduce absolute scope 3 GHG emissions by 46.2% by 2030 and achieve a 90% reduction in scope 3 emissions by 2050, relative to a 2019 base year.*

[ON TRACK]  Reduce supply chain emissions

In response to single-use plastic bans and increased consumer awareness of plastic pollution issues, we’ve increased our use of lower emissions materials, such as Wooden Cutlery, plastic-free plant fibre and recycled paper. Wooden Cutlery has a significantly lower carbon footprint than virgin and bio-based plastic cutlery, and sugarcane is a reclaimed material. Recycled paper is used in fluted board products and paper bags and has a lower footprint than using virgin paper.

Since 2021 , we’ve replaced a significant portion of our PLA Cutlery with Wooden Cutlery, which has had a positive impact in terms of avoiding emissions. We’re also encouraging our customers to replace plastic or PLA lids with our new plastic-free Plant Fibre Lids with no added PFAS. We’ve co-designed a new manufacturing process with our BioCane manufacturing partner to dramatically reduce energy requirements.

We’re dedicated to expanding our product offerings to reduce the reliance on plastic-lined products. Recently, we introduced our new PHA range, providing an additional low-carbon lining alternative to PLA and Aqueous options.

Other steps we’ve taken to reduce our impact on the planet have come from redesigning our supplier scorecard to measure our manufacturing partners' environmental policies and programs. The scorecard is being used across our global supply chain.

[ON TRACK]  Emission reduction via supplier engagement and education

We’ve engaged with suppliers to make the move toward renewable energy and are looking into renewable energy sourcing in regions where our top 20% of suppliers are located.

Additionally, as we make progress toward achieving our science-based targets, we hope to continually engage with suppliers to educate them on our net-zero journey and support them with their decarbonisation strategy where possible.

[ON TRACK]  Reduce end-of-life emissions

We’re continuously improving and growing Compost Connect, a brand-agnostic product stewardship scheme set up by BioPak in 2021.

We invest 1% of our profits in projects, technologies or organisations that can help grow the availability of end-of-life processing for compostable packaging in the markets we operate.

It's important to recognise that when our products are disposed of in landfills, their end-of-life emissions can account for a substantial portion of our total carbon footprint. While our products are intended to be composted, this doesn't always happen due to a lack of composting infrastructure and customer education. By working collaboratively with the packaging, foodservice and composting industries via our not-for-profit product stewardship program, Compost Connect, we aim to increase the composting rate of food waste and compostable packaging in the markets we operate in.

By applying regional-specific end-of -life assumptions for our customers, thanks to new technologies like the Pickler software, we can better inform them of the carbon footprint associated with their purchase and allow them to make more environmentally conscious product choices.

[ON TRACK]  Optimise freight routes

We work with our logistics partners to optimise our freight routes and container loading. We avoid airfreighting as much as possible. While lower emissions fuel vehicles and alternatives to combustion engine vehicles aren’t available to us at scale just yet, we’re watching this space with great anticipation.

[ON TRACK]  Decarbonise Freight

In 2025, We have prioritised collaborating with transport providers who not only track carbon emissions but are also actively working toward achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

BioPak is looking into expanding electrified freight across all regions in addition to freight optimisation.

[DELAYED]  Renewable energy in our supply chain

While our New Zealand warehousing partners use renewable energy, their Australian counterparts haven’t started yet, due to recent disruptions in the electricity market. We’ll work with them to investigate options once the market has stabilised.

[DELAYED]  Launch Compost Connect in Singapore and Hong Kong

We’re looking to launch our independent and brand-agnostic product stewardship program, Compost Connect, in Hong Kong in early 2025, adding to operations in Australia, New Zealand and the UK.

Work continues in Singapore to secure a partnership with a composting facility to provide a local solution and launch Compost Connect as soon as feasible.

Our goal is to facilitate connections between businesses, individuals, and local composters or composting technology, enabling them to responsibly compost not just their food waste but also their compostable packaging.

BioPak’s Carbon Sequestration and Storage Efforts 

[ON TRACK]  Reduce emissions with rainforest protection and regeneration

BioPak has been donating 1% of profits to Rainforest Rescue since 2012. To date, our donations have helped secure, rescue and replant land in the Daintree National Rainforest in Australia, helping to protect the unique flora and fauna of this biodiverse and fragile ecosystem.

In 2024, BioPak helped Rainforest Rescue plant 5,973 trees to repair previously cleared lowland Daintree rainforest. These trees, along with ongoing growth of plantings from previous years has sequestered 408 Tonnes of CO2 in 2024, an amount which will keep growing as the trees mature. To put this into perspective, sequestering 408 Tonnes of CO2 is the equivalent to removing 145 cars from the road for a whole year!

*Our net-zero target has been approved by the SBTi. The validation of our emissions reduction targets is part of Duni Group’s submission, which incorporates BioPak and its subsidiaries in their baseline emissions calculations. The target boundary also includes land-related emissions and removals from bioenergy feedstocks.




Advancing UN’s Sustainable Goals by Looking Beyond Carbon Offsets Through Our Emissions Reduction Plan


Read more on Advancing the United Nations’ SDGs

Responsible Supply Chain

End-of-Life

This report and the associated sustainability initiatives include statements concerning BioPak's future business expectations, goals, and commitments to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives. It is important to note that these forward-looking statements carry inherent risks and uncertainties. The actual results may deviate from the envisaged outcomes due to various factors, including but not limited to the actions of our suppliers and business partners, the market appetite for certain materials and the availability of end-of-life options. In addition, BioPak relies, either wholly or partially, on publicly available information and data provided by our suppliers and business partners.  Further, our ability to verify such information (whether now, in the past, or in the future) may be limited by the integrity of the underlying data available at the relevant point in time and the status and evolution of global, supranational and national laws, guidelines and regulations in relation to the tracking and provision of such data.