The Australian Beverages Council has renewed calls for urgent national packaging reform, warning that recent disruptions to global supply chains have exposed Australia’s vulnerability in sourcing recycled plastic materials for food and beverage packaging.
Speaking following a Ministerial Roundtable held on 19 May, Australian Beverages Council CEO Geoff Parker said the industry remained strongly supportive of nationally consistent packaging regulations and the development of a national Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework that recognises the role already played by Container Deposit Schemes (CDS).
The roundtable was convened to discuss ongoing pressures affecting the supply of plastic material into Australia, with industry leaders, recyclers, waste sector representatives and government examining the implications for local manufacturing and recycling capability.
“Australia has the opportunity to create a strong, local industry that supports the recycling of plastic materials back into food and beverage packaging,” Parker said.
“Recent disruptions have only served to highlight our exposure to global supply disruptions and confirmed the need for urgent prioritisation of these reforms.”
The Australian Beverages Council said the national CDS network, now operating across Australia, demonstrates how industry-led circular economy initiatives can support improved environmental outcomes while helping drive investment in domestic recycling infrastructure.
According to the Council, billions of beverage containers are diverted from landfill each year through CDS programs, although Parker said further work is needed to improve accessibility and increase consumer participation.
“While CDS diverts billions of beverage containers from landfill every year, more can be done to make the schemes more accessible to consumers with conveniently located return points to encourage greater participation,” he said.
“This will lift the return rate and reduce the leakage of material out of the circular economy, further supporting the domestic recycling industry.”
The Council said lessons learned through industry participation in CDS schemes continue to inform its support for a harmonised national EPR approach, with a particular focus on reducing reliance on overseas recycled resin supply chains and strengthening sovereign recycling capability.
“With manufacturers, recyclers and the waste sector working with government to deliver these reforms, we can strengthen Australia’s domestic recycling capabilities, while supporting jobs and investment across the industry,” Parker said.
The comments add to growing pressure across the packaging value chain for the federal government to progress long-awaited national packaging reforms, with industry groups increasingly linking regulatory harmonisation and EPR policy to supply chain resilience, local manufacturing investment and circular economy outcomes.
