SIG, a global leader in food and beverage packaging solutions, has introduced a recycle-ready bag for water, developed and manufactured in Australia. This innovation marks a significant sustainability milestone for the water industry. The current structure, which contains aluminum will be replaced by SIG Terra RecShield, a uniquely formulated material structure with a polymer composition. This means that all components of the bag-in-box packaging are now recycle-ready.

This development is in line with the Australian 2025 National Packaging Targets which aim to further advance sustainable packaging practices. Alongside the industry, SIG strives to lead the way towards a fully circular packaging system and is committed to offer recycle-ready solutions through design for recycling.

Carmen Houston, ANZ head of Marketing & Sustainability at SIG, said, “SIG has been working closely with the Australian Packaging Covenant Organization (APCO) who oversees the implementation of the Australian 2025 National Packaging Targets. Our Australian-based research and development team have achieved a significant milestone in advancing packaging technology, with our bag-in-box packaging for water having been assessed through the Packaging Recyclability Evaluation Portal (PREP) as having met the criteria for recyclability in Australia.”

SIG’s bag-in-box packaging is designed to be recycle-ready and reduces the overall plastics use compared to rigid alternatives such as PET water bottles. Bag-in-box is designed to fit any container size or shape, giving brands the flexibility to fill many volumes with a variety of fitments on the same filling machine.

Based on the European CEFLEX guidelines, SIG’s innovative recycle-ready bag-in-box packaging for water demonstrates SIG’s commitment to leading sustainability innovation, and accelerates the timeline to meet the Australian 2025 National Packaging Targets.

With a focus on continuous improvement, SIG's Australian Research & Development team is now turning its attention to further minimizing the carbon footprint of packaging. In the coming months, SIG will also introduce recycle-ready packaging alternatives for alcoholic beverages and food service applications.

The new recycle-ready packaging for water is now commercially available and consumers should begin to see it on supermarket shelves in mid to late September.