ABOUT AMCOR

• Amcor originated as the Australian Paper Manufacturers (APM) in the 1860s in Melbourne. Today, it operates from around 220 global sites across 43 countries, with headquarters in Switzerland. In 2021, Amcor generated USD 13 billion in sales.
• As a packaging manufacturer catering to a wide range of industries, from personal care to pet care, Amcor has a vast portfolio. The majority of this portfolio is packaging made from fossil-fuel plastic – there’s no getting around it – but its historical Paper expertise is re-emerging to help turn the tide and imagine new futures from renewable sources, albeit in small doses.
• One of its latest innovations is its LifeSpan Performance Paper, a paper-based, high barrier packaging material designed to replace plastic flow wrap for food. The material is recyclable kerbside, where facilities are available, and contains on average 85% fibre content from FSC-certified sources, while being PVDC-free. It offers similar properties to plastic, including water vapour and grease resistance.
• In 2018, Amcor pledged that by 2025 all of its packaging will be recyclable or reusable. It is also increasing its use of recycled content, trialling compostable and bio-based packaging, and exploring refillable design. While sustainability commitments from large organisations are positive – if they come to fruition their impact will span far and wide – the reality of the plastic and plastic composites actually being recycled is incredibly slim. Only 9% of all plastic waste ever created has been recycled.
• Several of Amcor’s sustainability solutions are related to its NaturePlus Renewable PE materials – a bioplastic (bio-polyethylene and traditional polyethylene mixes) alternative to fossil-fuel plastics. Bioplastics are not a viable solution to the plastic crisis. While they might be derived from renewable sources, the feedstocks are chemically modified and transformed into plastic content. When they break down, they break down into microplastics.
• Amcor’s reporting of its business operations is divided into Flexibles and Rigid Packaging, with each taking 78% and 22% of global sales in 2021, respectively. Flexibles includes Amcor’s non-plastic solutions, while Rigid Packaging only considers plastic solutions. The Rigid Packaging division is one of the world’s largest suppliers of plastic containers and closures in the world.
• Amcor designs and manufactures packaging solutions for Coca-Cola, Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, Mars, Mondelēz, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Proctor & Gamble Co and Unilever. Its influence is powerful, and as it starts to prioritise plastic-free solutions, it will force global brands to do the same.
• In December 2022, Amcor announced the opening of its new manufacturing plant, in Huizhou, China. An investment of around USD 1 million, the 590,000 square foot plant is reported to be "the largest flexible packaging plant by production capacity in China" and is "expected to employ more than 550 people."
• Amcor also signed a five-year agreement with ExxonMobil, in December 2022, to purchase large amounts of chemically-recycled, certified-circular polyethylene, to reach its goal of 30% recycled materials by 2030. This investment is disappointing to see, but not unexpected given the direct affiliation between plastics and fossil fuels.