Voluntary action not enough to achieve circularity on packaging

By Sarah Cook

National mandatory requirements are the only way Australia can reduce waste and create a circular economy for packaging.

The current voluntary approach is not working. While the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) set National Packaging Targets for 2025 — including 50 per cent of average recycled content included in packaging — the data show the industry is well behind, with some suggesting it is less than halfway to meeting its targets.

Regulation that mandates packaging requirements on individual entities is the only way we will see businesses make real change.

This regulation needs to focus on three key areas to create circularity:

1. Enforce minimum recycled content thresholds. This is the approach taken in Europe, which has help shift the packaging industry to a more circular economy. Regulation needs to look beyond simply charging fees for the continued use of virgin packaging. It has been proven time and time again that fee-based penalties don’t shift companies away from ‘business as usual’ activities. 
2. Encourage designing for circularity. Decisions at the design stage impact the entire lifecycle of the product; it’s where material choices, labelling design and practices of circular design can be implemented. It is the only stage where the material, assembly and finishing of the packaging can be altered. Regulation needs to start at the product design stage of the supply chain to drive change at the source.  
3. Foster regional circularity loops. The reality is Australia can’t solve for circularity alone. Our waste infrastructure and supply chain are not here. We need partners across the entire supply chain – manufacturers, waste collectors, sorters, and recyclers, to make circularity a reality. Many of these are not located in Australia making regional loops crucial. 

Regulating is not a tap that can simply be turned on. Businesses would need support and systems to help foster the transition. This could include educating businesses on what’s allowed under the new scheme and access to design for circularity training.

Administrative bodies will also be necessary to scale the intended infrastructure of the circular system. Certification bodies would also help to enforce labelling rules and new regulation on materials. Innovation associations can provide the necessary research and development partners to scale any new packaging innovations. Finally, consumer advocacy groups are critical in ensuring consumers are able to correctly recycle packaging. 

The Packaging Reform is an opportunity to course correct. Moving towards a circular system is crucial to reduce waste and have a more sustainable future.

Sarah Cook is CCO & COO of environmental technology company Samsara Eco. Samsara uses enzymes to break complex plastics (polymers) into their original chemical building blocks (monomers) for recycling.