At District, we’re improving how we package our products and manage waste recovery. This year, we partnered with Renata Daudt from Awen Packaging to prepare for APCO reporting and shape actions that are both practical and meaningful.
FY25 Achievements
- Soft plastics recycling has been introduced alongside our existing cardboard recycling program (VIC, WA)
- Launched a Packaging Return Program (VIC, WA)
- Introduced reusable 100% cotton chair bags
- Conducted 250 packaging reviews with improvement recommendations
- From Jan 2026, virgin plastic chair bags will be replaced with 100% recycled POLLAST!C bags from Better Packaging Co.
This is progress, but there is much more to be done.
Better Packaging Co
We are transitioning to chair covers made from Better Packaging Co's POLLAST!C, an award-winning material made from 100% recycled, Ocean Bound Plastic, collected from coastal communities in Southeast Asia. We're excited to expand our POLLAST!C range in an effort to reduce our use of virgin plastic, one bag at a time. [Applicable to locally manufactured products only]
Q&A with Renata Daudt from Awen Packaging
What is the biggest challenge the furniture/ fitout industry faces when addressing packaging waste?
In the furniture industry, overpacking has been the norm for years, largely because there’s been no regulation or penalty to discourage it. Manufacturers often fear that reducing packaging will lead to higher costs from product breakage. However, with Packaging EPR schemes now being implemented globally, the real cost is shifting: it will soon be more expensive to ship excessive packaging around the world than to minimise it. This shift demands a change in behaviour across the industry.
How can designers and manufacturers collaborate to reduce packaging without compromising product protection?
Packaging is often overlooked and left until the very end of product development, especially in B2B, where it doesn’t appear on shelves. Ideally, designers and product managers should define packaging materials and formats from day one. This allows enough time for manufacturers to test, gather feedback, and avoid being locked into unsustainable solutions that end up being used simply to prevent waste. Embedding sustainable packaging guidelines into the design process, companies can ensure that sustainable materials and packaging alternatives are considered as an integral part of product development, not as an afterthought.
What role will regulation and policy play in driving real packaging reform in Australia?
Australia has a long history of exporting its waste to Asia, but this changed in 2018 when China and other countries introduced bans. Since then, and especially after COVID, landfills have reached record capacity and disposal costs have skyrocketed. While Australia has the land, nobody wants to live near new landfill sites.
New packaging regulation is expected to come into force in the next two years. The aim is to reduce waste costs for both government and the community, while keeping valuable materials (packaging ending up in landfill) in circulation in Australia.
This means that all packaging sold here will need to be recyclable through kerbside collection and include locally recycled content. The idea is to grow the national recycling industry, make better use of the resources we already have, and reduce dependence on imports. And if the model follows what we see in Europe, brands that do not comply will end up paying high fees based on material type and volume of packaging.
