Circular switch: Australia to impose nation’s first mandatory packaging design rules

14 Jun 2023 --- Australian environment ministers met in Sydney last Friday to discuss new waste management and packaging restrictions to begin transitioning to a circular economy. For the first time, the country will develop mandatory packaging design obligations to minimize waste and ensure that packaging is “recovered, reused, recycled and reprocessed.”

The ministers released a statement outlining the shift Australia is set to take toward a circular economy by implementing a new packaging regulatory scheme. 

The plan has been met with favorable reactions from environmentalists in the country – while noting there is still leeway regarding specific applications. Packaging Insights speaks to Jeff Angel, director of the Boomerang Alliance, about his predictions for Australia’s packaging industry following the announcement of new rules. 

The Boomerang Alliance is comprised of environmental groups to give local communities power and influence on their waste management.

“The agreement by Australia’s environment ministers to impose a new regulatory packaging regime on packaging is very significant because it is necessary to break with the past, failed voluntary approach that just continued waste and pollution,” says Angel. 

Australia is shifting to a circular economy to reduce packaging going to landfills.“A big challenge”
Australian ministers are attempting to transform the country’s economy from “take, make, waste” to a circular one as of early 2024, maximizing the value of materials and minimizing waste and pollution. The ministers call it “a big challenge,” as only 12% of plastics were recycled in Australia in 2020-21.

“We were not meeting the national targets. The ministerial consensus is also important to get full industry coverage, including imports. A detailed and enforceable scheme is still to be worked out, so it will be a tussle between the minimalism that some in the industry will want and the full-on comprehensive scheme we want,” says Angel.

Australia’s new circularity rules will be based on international best practices and hold the industry accountable for the packaging it places on the market. The scheme will also regulate harmful chemicals and other contaminants in packaging. 

“The first step announced by the ministers was to require a redesign of packaging so there is less plastic used, it contains recycled content and can be recycled. It’s critical we start this now as you can’t build new reprocessing plants if there is no market for their recycled product.”

“We are aiming for environmentally better packaging. That will be a challenge for many in the marketing teams of the sector, who were intent on complicated, multiple types of wasteful and difficult-to-recycle packaging. A small levy on the sector per ton of packaging will be required to help support collection systems and new reprocessing. The industry must also be held accountable to the government and the public.”

The Australian government will lead the development of a national framework to direct Australia’s transition to a circular economy, informed by the work of the Circular Economy Advisory Group. 

From food to fashion Australian ministers have released a statement for a plan to place regulations on the packaging industry.
The directives also aim to extend beyond packaging and minimize food and fashion waste. To support food waste recycling, the ministers agreed to set a timeline to remove contaminants from compostable food packaging.

The government officials also highlight the importance of the Australian fashion industry implementing a well-supported product stewardship scheme by 30 June 2024. A product stewardship scheme, much like extended producer responsibility, calls on those involved in the product life cycle to share responsibility for reducing the environmental impacts of products.

The Australian government agreed to closely monitor industry participation in reducing fashion waste from textiles. 

“Overall, we should see less packaging going to landfills and less plastic polluting the environment. There will also be more jobs and investment in the circular economy,” explains Angel. 

“We don’t want to see incineration or one-way fuel conversion or export of our waste plastic – that’s contrary to circular principles.”

Additionally, a national roadmap will be developed for staged improvements to harmonize curbside collections, considering circumstances of metropolitan, regional and remote communities for the Australian ministers to consider by 2024. 

By Sabine Waldeck