The Banksia Foundation announced the shortlist for the awards, which spans 10 categories and celebrates sustainable development by businesses, communities, individuals and governments this week. 

“After what has been an extremely challenging year, we are keen to celebrate those who are striving to make positive change,” said Banksia Foundation CEO Graz van Egmond in a statement.

“Our judges were blown away by the quality of the entries. In spite of COVID-19, change-makers across Australia are innovating and collaborating to do their bit to improve life on the planet.”

The ARL is an evidence-based system for Australia and New Zealand that provides consumers with easy-to-understand recycling information when you need it most – at the bin. It removes confusion, saves time and reduces waste going to landfill. 

The program also assists brands in designing packaging that is recyclable by providing a comprehensive overview of how the packaging would perform in a materials recovery facility.

The ARL is an element of the Packaging Recycling Label Program from the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation, delivered in partnership with Planet Ark and Packaging Recyclability by Design (PREP). The program has been recognised as a finalist due to its capacity to create positive environmental behaviour change that will underpin how our community interacts with packaging for years to come while supporting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 12 and 17.

The Banksia Awards are an annual awards ceremony designed raise the profile of the current sustainability issues facing Australia while recognising those initiatives that should be held up as an example for others to follow. Since 2019, the Banksia Foundation’s aim has been to align the awards program with the 17 SDGs, essentially becoming Australia’s SDG Barometer.

The ARL program has been nominated as one of four finalists under the NGO/NFP category. The Banksia Award winners in each category, including the overall Gold Award and a special Minister for the Environment Award, will be announced at a virtual awards ceremony on March 24.