Business Case Study: Fonterra

"Exporting New Zealand’s packaging: The challenge for our packaging industry"

New Zealand food businesses export large volumes of food to markets all over the world involving long and sometimes complex supply chains.  Regardless of whether the food is in bulk form for further manufacturing, or in consumer packs for retail, it is protected through long supply chains using high-performing packaging, much of which is locally made. 

In recent years the groundswell in environmental awareness, particularly of plastic packaging waste, from civil society has led to a vast proliferation of environmentally-focused packaging regulations in many of the markets we export to.

These regulations aim to restrict harm to the environment through reducing pollution at all life-cycle stages, as well as target increasing circularity of materials to reduce raw material extraction.  Many different levers are used, such as restricting the use of certain polymers, additives and chemicals; banning the use of single-use-plastics for certain purposes; enhancing waste management through producer-pays schemes; and increasing recycling rates through packaging design and mandatory use of recycled content.

What should we be doing, as New Zealand food exporters, to ensure we are in a position to comply?  What do we need from our packaging partners? This talk will explain the major regulations of interest, and discuss the need to redesign our packaging materials by removing risky substances, aligning to Design for Recyclability standards, and incorporating recycled feedstock, without jeopardizing product quality, and all whilst maintaining efficient local manufacturing capabilities.

Emily Thomas

Sustainable Packaging Lead, Fonterra Research and Development Centre (FRDC).

With expertise in packaging technology, food manufacturing, and environmental science, Emily focuses on making sustainability improvements to the global packaging used to protect and distribute products. Emily's work involves exploring cutting-edge packaging material technologies and collaborating with suppliers to ensure commercial viability and performance consistency. Her unique ability to synthesise knowledge from multiple fields allows her to develop holistic and pragmatic improvements to packaging systems. Emily is driven by her passion for sustainability and the environment, and she takes pride in contributing to meaningful changes within the dairy industry through her role at Fonterra.