The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) has expressed its support of the government’s plans to pursue mandatory packaging design standards and targets.

As part of the Review of the 2025 National Packaging Targets delivered to Environment Ministers in 2022, APCO called for the establishment of clear standards requiring business to design for packaging reduction, reuse and recycling, along with effective and accountable extended producer responsibility for materials not accepted at kerbside.

APCO CEO, Chris Foley, said “This is a watershed moment in Australia’s relationship with packaging sustainability and will provide a significant boost to our goals of achieving a circular economy for packaging.

“Good packaging design is essential to ensure better environmental outcomes at end of life. It is simply not acceptable to put packaging onto the market that is destined to end up in landfill because of poor, unsustainable choices made at the design stage.”

Foley continued: “It’s fantastic to see Environment Ministers committing to strong, decisive action and taking up some of the recommendations from APCO’s Review of the 2025 Targets. APCO’s more than 2,300 members have made significant improvements in the past five years, but it’s clear that stronger regulation is needed to address free riders and accelerate progress.”

APCO says it will work closely with industry and government in the coming months to develop packaging design standards.

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