Reducing waste, repurposing goods and closing loops have emerged as themes among the 33 finalists in Australia’s longest running and most prestigious sustainability awards.
The Banksia Foundation has today announced the shortlist for the awards, which spans 10 categories and celebrates sustainable development by businesses, communities, individuals and governments. BioPak is thrilled to be announced as a finalist alongside some incredible organisations.
“After what has been an extremely challenging year, we are keen to celebrate those who are striving to make positive change,” says Banksia Foundation CEO Graz van Egmond.
“Our judges were blown away by the quality of the entries. In spite of COVID-19, change-makers across Australia are innovating and collaborating to do their bit to improve life on the planet.”
This year BioPak entered the category of Banksia Medium Business Award with our efforts to help drive sustainability in the retail sector.
What is the Banksia Foundation?
The Banksia Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that believes in the power of social and environmental impact through community engagement and sustainable business practices.
What Are the Banksia Sustainability Awards?
The Banksia Foundation’s prestigious annual awards highlight outstanding, innovative leadership across Australia. They recognise past achievements that drive further innovations towards achieving a better future for everyone. Banksia support and acknowledge emerging leaders in the social, sustainable, and environmental sectors across Australia.
How BioPak Is Driving Sustainability in Retail
In 2020, BioPak has been helping supermarkets reduce their use of single-use plastics and implement closed-loop solutions with BioPak moulded sugarcane compostable and recyclable instead. Our BioCane range presents a massive opportunity to replace produce packaging made from conventional plastic with compostable BioCane packaging made from sugarcane pulp.
What are BioCane products made from?
BioCane products are made from a by-product of the sugar refining industry that would have otherwise been burned. Transforming an output that is currently considered waste into a valuable input for another process provides significant environmental benefits. As the fresh produce industry moves to become more sustainable, growers, packers and retailers are looking for alternatives to plastic packaging.
This is not simple, as fresh produce puts many demands on its packaging. It has to be sturdy to protect the product so it lasts longer, it has to be moisture repellent and able to withstand the rigours of the cold-chain and lastly it has to look good for the consumer.
Woolworths Produce and Bakery Trays
BioPak designed Woolworths produce and bakery trays with sugarcane pulp to reduce the amount of regular plastic sold by Woolworths. BioPak also supplies sugarcane pulp trays to a number of Woolworth's fresh fruit and vegetable packers and producers like Hydro Produce, Costa Group and Kapiris Brothers.
The BioCane impact continues with other innovative solutions across the retail environment with a compostable tableware picnic range, 4 and 6 pack can holders and a 6 pack oyster tray. It has been a collaborative effort with a huge investment in time and finances from all parties. Woolworths has recently set the BioCane tomato punnet design as their new standard for all their tomato producers nationally.
Experimentation and innovation are the driving forces behind BioPak’s mission to create sustainable, environmentally-friendly packaging, but the success of this goal is a collaborative effort. This is the blueprint for doing business in the future, for the future – bringing more and more partner businesses on the journey with BioPak and working together with industries to accelerate the transition to a sustainable, global circular economy.
