Australia’s pathway to a national soft plastics recycling system has taken a step forward, with the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) and Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia (SPSA) announcing a new partnership aimed at simplifying how brands and retailers participate in stewardship as collection and recycling pathways expand.
The collaboration links SPSA’s work to build a national soft plastics collection and recycling scheme with APCO’s established stewardship infrastructure – including reporting systems, invoicing processes, packaging guidance and extended producer responsibility administration.
The intent is to provide industry with a clearer, more coordinated participation pathway while avoiding duplication in levies, reporting and administrative requirements. Both organisations say the model will strengthen data integrity and build confidence across the packaging value chain as the stewardship system develops.
APCO chief executive officer Chris Foley said the partnership reflects industry calls for practical coordination as soft plastics recycling capacity begins to scale.
“Soft plastics stewardship needs to be credible, workable and easier for industry to engage with,” Foley said.
“This partnership connects scheme delivery with the systems many businesses already rely on, while supporting stronger consistency, clear participation pathways and greater confidence in how stewardship is administered.”
SPSA chief executive officer Barry Cosier said closer alignment between scheme delivery, packaging design and recycling infrastructure will be critical to building a viable national system.
“Soft plastic recycling will thrive with aligned packaging design, labelling, collection and recycling infrastructure, supported by policy reform of the broader packaging value chain,” Cosier said.
“By working closely with APCO, we can provide brands and retailers with greater confidence that packaging design, labelling and recycling infrastructure are evolving together.”
Under the arrangement, SPSA will continue to focus on expanding soft plastics collection and recycling pathways with retailers, councils, recyclers and industry partners. APCO will support scheme administration through its national reporting systems and provide guidance to improve packaging design outcomes, including through the Australasian Recycling Label Program.
For industry participants, the partnership is expected to streamline reporting and invoicing, improve scheme data transparency, and provide clearer signals for packaging design and labelling decisions.
To support engagement with brand owners and retailers, APCO and SPSA will host invitation-only roadshow sessions in Sydney and Melbourne later this month, outlining the next phase of scheme expansion and what participation may mean for businesses planning for FY27.
As Australia continues to rebuild momentum in soft plastics recycling, the organisations say the partnership marks an important step towards a coordinated and scalable national stewardship model.
