The Detmold Group has received the Industry Sector Award at the 2024 Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) Awards, acknowledging its achievements in sustainability and reporting across its Detpak and PaperPak brands.
Held in Sydney, the group was awarded the Full Framework Reporting Award for the packaging manufacturer/supplier industry, as revealed in a news release.
The accolade recognises its efforts to refine its packaging portfolio, achieving significant reductions in materials used for food trays and cartons, alongside incorporating higher recycled content in carry bags.
Detmold’s award submission highlighted key initiatives, including its partnership with Subway to develop a fibre-based, kerbside-recyclable catering platter.
This innovation removes the equivalent of 26 garbage trucks of plastic waste from the environment annually.
The submission also showcased a collaboration with Mitolo Family Farms, resulting in Australia’s first kerbside-recyclable paper bag for fresh potatoes.
The new packaging, created with Detmold’s in-house design agency LaunchPad, delivers a 64 per cent reduction in plastic and prevents 8.2 tonnes of plastic waste annually compared to its predecessor.
Beyond product innovation, Detmold has reinforced its commitment to global sustainability through renewable energy installations at production sites, increased recycling initiatives, landfill diversion, and wastewater treatment facilities.
Keith Bishop, Executive General Manager of Product and Brand, expressed pride in the recognition, stating, “Providing more sustainable packaging materials and designs is critical for our industry and the planet.”
“We’re working hard to optimise the design of our products and reduce their end of-life impacts to support a circular economy, in tandem with investments in renewable energy and responsible procurement of raw materials to support our vision to create packaging for a better tomorrow,” he noted.
