PakTech begins manufacturing in Australia

Recyclable packaging manufacturer PakTech has announced a collaboration with Endeavour Group and the launch of its local manufacturing in Australia. The news comes as PakTech’s range of multipack beverage can handles sold in Australia has been assessed as recyclable through the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) ARL program.

Through the collaboration, PakTech and Endeavour Group will team up over the coming months to expand Endeavour Group’s closed loop recycling scheme, which seeks to collect recyclable PakTech clips throughout its more than selected Dan Murphy's outlets. This scheme will encourage the recovery, recycling and reuse of PakTech handles, and in doing so, help to avoid landfill and reduce carbon emissions associated with packaging supply.

PakTech and its partners have the capacity to manufacture up to 75 million recycled multipack beverage can handles annually within Australia. Locally, PakTech’s existing customers include Asahi, Billson’s, Hawkers Beer and a variety of craft beer, seltzer and wine manufacturers. In the US, PakTech’s customers include CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) companies like Pepsi, KraftHeinz and Johnson & Johnson.

“Today is an incredibly important day for PakTech and environmentally aware consumers,” said Brandon Rogers, CEO. “We’re now able to fulfil our vision of: made in Australia, recycled in Australia, and repurposed again into new products in Australia. We’re also absolutely thrilled to be [collaborating] with a champion of sustainability such as the Endeavour Group. They, like us, know the importance of sustainability and are willing to take action; not tomorrow, but today.

“Conscious consumerism is flourishing, and pressure from consumers around the world is forcing brands and retailers to rethink their approach to sustainable packaging. Sustainability and the circular economy are no longer competitive differentiators, they’re an expectation.”

PakTech products are manufactured with high-density polyethylene (HDPE), also known as #2 plastic. The recyclable material is used to make various milk bottles, detergent bottles, and toys. Through a recover, recycle and remanufacture process, PakTech and its partners seek to maximise collection of used materials, which are sorted, cleaned and processed through various facilities. The materials are then repurposed into new products. PakTech says that 100% of the HDPE plastic it uses comes from recycled material, closing the circular economy loop and avoiding the pitfalls of single use plastics.

Through this process and its technology, manufacturing and products, PakTech enables the food, beverage, and consumer goods industries to respond to growing ESG pressures and consumer demand for 100% recycled and 100% recyclable packaging and practices.

“Endeavour are proud to be [collaborating] with PakTech to support the continued recycling and re-use of PakTech products. PakTech products play a great role in the re-use of plastic from products such as milk bottles and cream jars,” said Sarah McElholum, Circular Economy Sustainability Manager at Endeavour Group. “We are also continuously working to improve the recyclability and reuse of our beverage packaging for our customers. Our [collaboration] with PakTech, along with our cork collection and wine bottle divider recycling schemes within stores such as Dan Murphy’s give our customers another chance to help avoid landfill, and give packaging another life.”

PakTech’s launch in Australia — through a contract manufacturing facility in Sydney, NSW and proprietary collaboration with Visy – comes as public demand for sustainable packaging and practices skyrockets. While there has been some progress against the seven recommendations laid out in the Government’s National Waste Policy Action Plan, a report from the Australian Circular Economy Hub found that Australia’s recycling rate has not improved since 2006/7.

By using 100% recycled material, over approximately one billion recycled milk bottles have been collected, shredded, and extruded into pellets to create PakTech products globally