As announced during an industry event held by the Australian Packaging Covenant Organization (APCO) in September 2018, Australia has set National Packaging Targets for the year 2025. On the APCO’s website and in an article published by the Australian Institute of Packaging, the four targets for the country to achieve by 2025 are defined as:

  • “100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging
  • 70% of plastic packaging being recycled or composted
  • 30% of average recycled content included in packaging
  • The phase out of problematic and unnecessary single-use plastics packaging.”

Reaching the targets is described as requiring “a complete and systemic change to the way we create, collect and recover our product packaging, and will apply to all packaging that is made, used and sold in Australia.” The targets themselves were “developed following extensive industry and government consultation” and are “in line with broader sustainable packaging shifts that are taking place globally to reduce the volume of material entering landfill, improve recycling rates, and increase the use of recycled material in future packaging.” The APCO has been tasked with coordinating stakeholders in reaching the targets, and more information on the projects involved within three phases is available on their website.

Read more

Nerida Kelton (July 25, 2019). “A targeted shift towards sustainable packaging.” Australian Institute of Packaging

APCO (2018). “Australia’s 2025 National Packaging Targets.”

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