Recycling of domestic pets and the sustainable economy cycle
In a bid to reduce the overall environmental footprint, New Zealand is focusing on recycling as the first step towards more complex solutions. One company leading this charge is Pact Packaging, formerly known as Flight Plastics, which reprocesses recycled PET plastic, commonly used in drinks bottles and food packaging.
Pact Packaging contributes significantly to New Zealand's circular economy by recycling and producing food-grade recycled plastic packaging. The company has made strides in this area, with the launch of the rFresh 100 HDPE resin, a recycled material used for manufacturing milk, cream, juice bottles, and personal care containers. This recycled material is sourced from a facility jointly operated with Cleanaway Waste Management, processing up to 20,000 tonnes of HDPE annually—equivalent to recycling about half a billion 2-liter milk bottles per year.
The circular economy, which replaces the linear economy (where items are bought, used, and thrown away), is gaining traction in New Zealand. Pact Packaging's stated vision is to lead the circular economy through packaging solutions that emphasize reduction, reuse, and recycling, reflecting a commitment to sustainable plastic lifecycle management in both New Zealand and Australia.
However, challenges remain in expanding recycling capacity and efficiency for other plastic types beyond HDPE. Common industry challenges include recycling complex or mixed plastic types, food-grade certification barriers for recycled plastics from other resin types, limited recycling infrastructure for flexible plastics and multi-layer packaging, and contamination issues that reduce recyclability and recycled material quality.
Overcoming these issues typically requires innovation in sorting technologies, chemical recycling development, building collection infrastructure, and improving design-for-recycling standards to ensure more plastic types can be kept in the circular economy.
One of the future challenges for New Zealand is to start recycling other types of plastic, such as number 2 plastics (like milk bottles). Currently, some recycling of number 2 plastics is happening in New Zealand, but it needs to be scaled up.
In a positive note, the recycled PET plastic, after being used by consumers, can be returned to Pact Packaging and reused, creating a circular economy. The company buys recycled PET plastic from around New Zealand, cleans it, and turns it back into a food-grade product, such as a blueberry punnet.
The video excerpt is from a production by Point of View Productions, directed by Shirley Horrocks, and is published by Referencing Hub media. As New Zealand continues to strive towards a more sustainable future, companies like Pact Packaging play a crucial role in reducing waste, cutting carbon emissions, and keeping plastic in a circular lifecycle.
[1] Pact Group. (2021). Pact Group launches rFresh 100 HDPE resin made entirely from recycled plastic. Retrieved from https://www.pactgroup.com.au/news/pact-group-launches-rfresh-100-hdpe-resin-made-entirely-recycled-plastic
[2] Pact Group. (2020). Pact Group announces strategic partnership with Cleanaway to create Australia’s largest recycled plastic manufacturing facility. Retrieved from https://www.pactgroup.com.au/news/pact-group-announces-strategic-partnership-cleanaway-create-australias-largest-recycled-plastic-manufacturing-facility
[3] Pact Group. (2020). Pact Group expands its recycling capabilities with the acquisition of Flight Plastics. Retrieved from https://www.pactgroup.com.au/news/pact-group-expands-its-recycling-capabilities-acquisition-flight-plastics
[4] Pact Group. (2019). Pact Group acquires Flight Plastics Ltd. Retrieved from https://www.pactgroup.com.au/news/pact-group-acquires-flight-plastics-ltd
[5] Cleanaway Waste Management. (2020). Cleanaway and Pact Group form joint venture to create Australia’s largest recycled plastic manufacturing facility. Retrieved from https://www.cleanaway.com.au/news/cleanaway-and-pact-group-form-joint-venture-create-australias-largest-recycled-plastic-manufacturing-facility
- Embracing the vision of sustainable plastic lifecycle management, Pact Group, previously known as Flight Plastics, is at the forefront of environmental-science innovation, employing technology to recycle PET plastic and HDPE resin for use in home-and-garden products, lifestyle goods, and climate-change mitigation measures like milk bottles and personal care containers.
- In an effort to enhance the country's circular economy and reduce climate-change impacts, New Zealand should focus on expanding recycling capacities for other plastic types beyond HDPE, especially number 2 plastics, such as milk bottles, to move towards more sustainable-living practices and cater to the growing environmental-science movement.
- With the successful implementation of recycled PET plastic in the New Zealand market, Pact Group sets an example for the sector, demonstrating the potential merge of science and technology with lifestyle choices, promoting a greener home-and-garden environment and an eco-friendly future.
