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Committed to a circular

economy approach

The circular economy creates new possibilities, extending the life of products and resources, to benefit all of
society, reduce business costs and our impact on the planet.
Opal is committed to sustainable circular economy business practices that reduce our environmental impact,
support our local communities and contribute to a strong economy. Closing the recycling loop
In 2021, Opal’s Botany Mill converted 481,628
tonnes of used recycled fibre into 100% recycled
packaging paper.
This closed-loop system produced 421,941
tonnes of 100% recycled packaging paper for
remanufacturing into high value cardboard boxes.

Award-winning sustainable solution Composting to reduce waste
In 2022, Opal collaborated with JBS Foods to The PineGro composting operation at Opal’s
create a 100% recyclable corrugated cardboard Maryvale Mill processes pine bark, solid material
dunnage solution which won gold in the from effluent treatment and by-products from
Sustainable Packaging Design of the Year Industrial onsite recycling. These inputs are composted to
subcategory and Outside of the Box Design of the produce soil conditioning products.
Year category at the PIDA 2022 awards.
In 2021 composting operations at the Maryvale Victoria’s largest generator of baseload
Dunnage is usually constructed from Expanded Mill diverted 83,856 tonnes of organic waste from renewable energy
Polystyrene (EPS), which can’t be recycled and landfill creating products that reduce waste and
ends up in landfill. Opal developed an alternative environmental impact. Opal’s Maryvale Mill is Victoria’s largest generator
corrugated cardboard dunnage solution to limit of baseload renewable energy through its kraft
product movement during transportation. The Botany Mill provided paper crumble as a pulping process which produces black liquor as a
composting input for the Hunter Valley in NSW. renewable energy source.
This initiative supports the phase out of In addition, excess biomass from the Botany site
problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic was re-used as a natural fertiliser to boost crops In 2021, the Maryvale site produced 567,177 tonnes
packaging under the 2025 National Packaging and pasture growth in the region. A total of 38,197 of black liquor for steam production, meeting 56%
Targets by substituting EPS dunnage with a tonnes of material from Botany was composted of its thermal energy needs.
recyclable cardboard solution. through these initiatives in 2021.
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