David Jones and Country Road Group are among the businesses taking part in creating a more sustainable packaging industry.

They are part of the the Collective Action Group (CAG) working towards the National Packaging Targets, which the Australian government set in 2018.

The targets stipulate that all packaging be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025; 70 per cent of plastic be recycled or composted; and all packaging contain an average recycled content of 30 per cent by 2025.

Additionally, the targets set out to remove “problematic and unnecessary” single-use plastic packaging.

The CAG, which held its first meeting yesterday, includes representatives from David Jones and Country Road Group, Coles, Coca-Cola Amatil, Nestlé Oceania, Pact Group, Visy, EY, Planet Ark, SUEZ ANZ, Institute for Sustainable Futures, Australian Council of Recycling, as well as Australian Government representatives and the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO).

According to APCO, the agency leading the delivery of the 2025 targets, the CAG’s primary target for 2019 is the development of a white paper – setting the roadmap for a successful transition to a circular economy within the Australian packaging industry.

“The formation of the CAG is an exciting milestone in our work towards delivering the targets and it’s fantastic to bring together such a prestigious group of leaders for the task,” said APCO chief executive Brooke Donnelly.

“The 2025 National Packaging Targets are some of the most ambitious and decisive environmental targets to be supported in Australia, and their delivery requires collaboration form across industry.”

Over the next year, the APCO will work on delivering on an extensive program of projects to provide the CAG with analysis and resources, such as a mapping of the current waste recycling system and alternatives, research to better understand compostability, and the phasing out of single-use plastics.