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Australia’s leading eco-friendly packaging company BioPak has soared to new heights by launching the world’s first ever zero-waste flight with Australian airline, Qantas Group. 

Flying from Sydney to Adelaide earlier today, the ground-breaking flight is part of the most ambitious environmental push by any airline, with BioPak at the helm in trialling this major zero-waste initiative.
 

In the age of corporate social responsibility, more and more emphasis is being placed on reducing the negative environmental outcomes of business activity, not just addressing issues of sustainability at a high level. These days, it’s not enough to simply installing a few recycling bins or spend some budget on enviro-focussed not-for-profits – a well-considered strategy for greening your business is required. Melbourne Business School – who has been ranked among the world's best by the Financial Times in its 2018 analysis of business schools by region – is leading the way by choosing the BioPak Compost Service to reduce their waste on campus and is diverting between 2,000 and 3,000 kilograms of compostable waste, that previously went to landfill, each month.

BioPak founder Richard Fine has urged the Australian government to make a global commitment to the circular economy, saying it is "incredibly disappointing" that it is not on the top of parliament's agenda.

Fine spoke to PKN editor & publisher Lindy Hughson about the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment [Ellen McArthur Foundation], and what needs to be done to increase plastic recycling.

BioPak Founder Richard Fine on the solution to the recycling crisis. Could a natural system of material recycling that returns valuable nutrients into the system be the answer? With a growing number of businesses choosing to use compostable packaging and more commercial composters keen to accept these products along with food waste, businesses are able to go plastic-free and reduce their waste to landfill.

As seen on News.com on 22 February 2019.

Qantas and Jetstar will ditch paper boarding passes and switch to a purely digital system this year in a bid to cut down on paper waste.

The bold change was announced by Qantas Group this morning as it revealed plans to become the first airline in the world to reuse, recycle and compost at least 75 per cent of its waste by the end of 2021.

In the last 18 months, we have launched the BioPak Compost Service to over 1,800 postcodes in Australia and New Zealand, and have had our cups and lids certified to Australian standards (AS4736) – in addition to the European certification which we've held for a while – in an effort to provide confidence and comply to the most stringent, regional practices available.

We’re all collectively fighting the war on waste at every level: consumer, business, and government. But perhaps there’s a different war we should be fighting? The war on convenience.

BioPak is recalling 12oz ByoCups manufactured before 2015 and sold between February 2013 and April 2018. In extreme circumstances, the bottom of the coffee cup may detach. If this occurs while the cup contains hot coffee/liquid, there is a risk of injury to the user. We take this very seriously, and are working with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and New Zealand's Trading Standards on this voluntary recall.