Global packaging company Amcor announced in its 2022 Sustainability Report that it would increase its target for recycled content to 30 percent by the end of the decade.
The new, enhanced recycled content would apply across its portfolio and increase the previous target threefold. Amcor’s report outlined a banner year for sustainability efforts where it committed to net zero emissions by 2050, more than doubled its post-consumer recycled material purchased since 2019, and achieved a Gold rating from EcoVadis for its sustainability practices. The rating places the company amongst the top 5 percent of all companies assessed by EcoVadis.
“We’re continuing to show ambition and leadership to deliver better sustainability results for our people, our customers, our investors, and the environment. We’re working with every part of the value chain to make this happen,” Ron Delia, Amcor CEO, said. “I am particularly proud of our colleagues around the world who are dedicated to delivering on our sustainability ambitions. We now have an exciting lineup of innovative packaging products, and we keep raising the bar to deliver the very best solutions for our customers’ specific needs.”
The report also said 74 percent of all Amcor’s production by weight is designed to be recycled, a move forward on the company’s pledge to make all of its products recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2025. The launch of EcoGuard’s rebranding effort will make it easier for customers to choose from more sustainable solutions, the company said, while its EnviroAction program has reduced waste sent to disposal by 33 percent over the past three years. More than 120 Amcor sites achieved zero waste-to-disposal last year. All of the company’s sites have water management plans in place, and every site that uses plastic pellets, granules, or flakes prevents plastic loss through the company’s use of Operation Clean Sweep methodologies.
“At Amcor, we’re proud of the work we’re doing to make our business, and the packaging industry, more sustainable,” said David Clark, vice president of sustainability at Amcor. “In ramping up our targets for recycled content, we’re helping radically scale the amount of recycled content coming into the market to create a circular economy for packaging. We do this by not only making sure that the packaging produced is designed to be recycled but also by boosting infrastructure and consumer awareness to ensure content gets recycled and stays in the economy.”