Rivalea recognized as APCO’s Agriculture and Nurseries winner for its sustainable packaging
Copy Rivalea, part of JBS Australia’s Pork Division, is delighted to be recognised as the Australian Packaging Covenant’s (APCO) 2023 Annual Industry Sector award winner in Agriculture and Nurseries for its innovative sustainable packaging.
Through consistent product research and industry collaboration, Rivalea outperformed in its sector by creating a solution that achieved maximum recyclability while meeting the highest standards of food safety and quality.
The APCO assessed Rivalea across two product categories, pork boned meat and livestock feed bags, resulting in an overall performance of 86% which surpassed best practice in the industry.
More than half of Rivalea’s pork boned meat is packed in reusable crates, minimising waste and encouraging supply chain circularity. 52% of Rivalea’s packaging is developed from recyclable materials such as cardboard and VSP bottom web sealing.
In 2023 Rivalea became a member of the Australian Government’s ‘Big Bag Recovery’, a product stewardship scheme designed to recycle plastic sacks and bulk bags containing over 15 kg/l of contacts. This scheme provided a circular solution to recover and recycle Rivalea’s 20kg feedstock bags, ultimately extending the lifespan of plastics used across the value chain.
JBS Australia Pork Division Chief Operating Officer, Edison Alvares said that APCO’s award acknowledges Rivalea’s dedication to packaging research and design for a more sustainable future:
“APCO’s recognition acknowledges the ongoing efforts of the Rivalea team who reimagine the capabilities of packaging and collaborate with customers to reduce our impact on the environment.
“Rivalea has achieved the maximum recyclability for its primary packaging of its products in accordance with Sustainable Packaging Guidelines and has focused on closing the loop for its feedstock bags. These initiatives create great progress towards reducing packaging waste during production and post-consumption, to generate a more circular supply chain,” said Mr Alvares.
Rivalea is part of the JBS Australia Group, which is committed to continuously improve its packaging recyclability and reduce its material use and wastage. As part of this commitment, Rivalea has partnered with its suppliers to trial recyclable Cryovac bags and compostable absorbent pad inserts.
JBS Australia Group Manager Sustainability Sam Churchill said innovating is the cornerstone of JBS’s sustainability approach:
“Across our business we are continually trialing new methods to evolve our packaging. Our Swift brand received a 2023 PIDA Award for food packaging design of the year. By combining a Cryovac Darfresh mono-Pet vacuum skin and web contouring, we’ve created a high protection barrier that extends shelf life and prevents food waste throughout the value chain.
Additionally, WorldStar recognised JBS Australia’s collaboration with Opal for its innovative dunnage solution, which eliminated the need for non-recyclable expanded polystyrene.
“It is innovations such as these that lead progress in vital sustainability priorities across our business and supply chain,” Mr Churchill said.
Media Contact:
Olga Alexandratos
Director Corporate Communication, Australia & NZ
Mbl: 0417 770 352
email: olga.alexandratos@jbssa.com.au
About JBS Australia
JBS Australia is the largest meat and food processor in Australia with more than 15,000 team members and a strong portfolio of leading beef, lamb, pork, salmon, and value-added branded products. JBS globally is the largest animal protein business and the largest food company in the world, with operations in North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
About JBS Australia’s Pork Division
JBS Australia’s Pork Division includes the Rivalea pig breeding and progeny raising enterprise along with pork processing facilities at Rivalea Corowa, Diamond Valley Pork in Melbourne and Seven Point Pork at Port Wakefield in South Australia.