A new Australian research centre has been launched at Monash University to lead a five-year, $11 million initiative developing fibre-based alternatives to single-use plastics and addressing the material performance, manufacturing and recycling challenges involved in their commercial adoption.
The Australian Research Council (ARC) Industrial Transformation Training Centre, SMaRT-Pack – Sustainable Materials and Responsible Technologies for Packaging – is led by Monash in collaboration with Deakin University and Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
Officially opened at Monash’s Clayton campus on 6 October by Minister for Skills and Training Andrew Giles and Senator Michelle Ananda-Rajah, the centre will work across the packaging life cycle, from material development and manufacturing through to recycling, degradation and end-of-life management.
From laboratory to commercial scale
Centre director Professor Gil Garnier said the centre’s collaborative model would help move new packaging technologies through development and into production.
“Through strong industry partnerships spanning forestry, fibre processing, recycling, coatings, biomaterials and manufacturing, SMaRT-Pack will accelerate the pathway from research to commercial application while supporting new jobs, regional opportunities and a more sustainable future for Australian packaging,” Garnier said.
“By bringing together industry partners, academic researchers and industry associations, we can take cutting-edge research from the laboratory to pilot production and ultimately commercial scale. These collaborations have the potential to deliver transformational outcomes for the packaging sector while reducing reliance on single-use plastics.”
One research focus is developing coatings from forestry and agricultural by-products, including timber waste, wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse. According to the ARC, these coatings are being designed to protect food and other products from moisture and oxygen without plastic layers.
The centre will also investigate how agricultural and forestry residues can be converted into packaging products and bio-based coatings, with the aim of creating additional value for primary producers and supporting regional manufacturing.
Testing performance and recovery
Alongside developing recyclable and compostable fibre-based alternatives, SMaRT-Pack will establish test methods, standards, measurement protocols and policy recommendations to assess how packaging performs across its full life cycle.
This work will cover functional performance, recyclability, degradation, carbon dioxide impact and energy intensity. It will also examine how new materials can be integrated into Australian waste systems.
Monash University vice-chancellor and president Professor Sharon Pickering said SMaRT-Pack was one of four ARC Industrial Transformation Research Programs awarded to Monash in 2025.
“SMaRT-Pack is a great example of the convening power of our universities – our power to mobilise research, research infrastructure, and industry to address societal and economic challenges,” Pickering said.
Supported through the ARC’s Industrial Transformation Training Centre scheme, the centre will train researchers through direct engagement with industry.
“The ARC’s funding to SMaRT-Pack through the ITRP Scheme will cultivate the next generation of industry-focused researchers and strengthen Australia's research capability,” the ARC’s Anthony Murfett said.
The collaboration also includes AgroParisTech in France, the University of Kyoto in Japan and Monash Malaysia, as well as eight industry partners and two associations. Its training and research programme aims to build Australian expertise in packaging materials, recycling and environmental regulation.
