Frequently Asked Questions
Most Common Questions
The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) is a not-for-profit organisation leading the development of a circular economy for packaging in Australia. APCO works with governments, businesses and other organisations from across Australia’s large and complex packaging value chain to develop the insights, resources and programs that are needed to build a sustainable national packaging ecosystem. Our vision is a packaging value chain that collaborates to keep packaging materials out of landfill and retains the maximum value of the materials, energy and labour within the local economy. To find out more, click here.
The Australian Packaging Covenant (the Covenant) is a national regulatory framework under the National Environment Protection (Used Packaging Materials) Measure 2011 (NEPM) that sets out how governments and businesses across Australia share the responsibility for managing the environmental impacts of packaging. The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) is the entity in charge of managing and administering the Covenant. To find out more, click here.
PREP is an online tool that allows packaging manufactures and brand owners to assesses how their packaging will perform in the Australian and New Zealand resource recovery systems.
When it comes to packaging, even the smallest details can have an impact on recyclability, including the packaging shape, size, weight, inks, adhesives and the materials used.
For every item of packaging, PREP considers all these factors, as well as the availability of collection services, how the packaging will behave in a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and in subsequent processing facilities, such as paper mills and aluminium smelters.
By aggregating this information into a simple online platform, PREP empowers businesses to understand whether their packaging is recyclable, not recyclable, or conditionally recyclable – provided consumers follow the set instructions in the corresponding ARL on-pack. The ARL is generated using the evidence supplied by PREP. Only once a business has conducted a PREP assessment can the ARL be used on-pack. The process provides a verified and transparent education loop between the design and the end-of-life of packaging in the Australian and New Zealand kerbside recycling systems.
The Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) is an on-pack label that helps consumers in Australia and New Zealand recycle their packaging correctly.
Packaging can be made up of a range of different components and materials, each requiring different disposal methods. Some items belong in the general waste bin, some can be recycled, while others require special instructions to be recycled. Some items belong in the general waste bin, some can be recycled, while others require consumers to follow special instructions in order to be recycled.
The ARL provides all of this information in one easy evidence-based label, allowing consumers to confidently and accurately dispose of their packaging.
To find out more about the ARL and the ARL program, click here.
Yes. The Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) Program is exclusive to Members of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO). This means that both the ARL and the Packaging Recyclability Evaluation Portal (PREP) can only be used by compliant APCO Members.
To learn more about which APCO Memberships provide access to the ARL, visit our Membership Options page.
The Sustainable Packaging Guidelines (SPGs) are a comprehensive, publicly available resource used to assist in the sustainable design and manufacture of packaging in Australia and are a central part of APCO’s co-regulatory framework. The purpose of the SPGs is to assist Australian organisations in integrating ten key Sustainable Packaging Principles into their operations. To find out more about the SPGs, click here.
Yes. The Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) Program is exclusively available to Members of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO). This means that both the Packaging Recyclability Evaluation Portal (PREP) and ARL can only be used by compliant APCO Members.
To learn more about APCO Membership, visit our Membership Options page.
The APCO 2030 Strategic Plan was unveiled on 19 August 2024. This plan provides economic incentives for material circularity, establishes mechanisms to achieve National Packaging Targets, and enhances the social license for brands using packaging.
How does this model align with existing government regulations?
Implementation of the 2030 Strategic Plan is happening concurrently with the reform of packaging regulation by the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW). The Consultation Paper released by DCCEEW in late 2024 established that:
- Full implementation of APCO’s 2030 Strategy is the base case that will remain in place until the reform process is completed and will provide the transitionary pathway to the reformed framework
- Full implementation of the 2030 Strategy with stronger regulatory support by governments is reform Option 1
- Reform Option 3 is a Commonwealth-regulated EPR scheme with strong parallels to the 2030 Strategy.
DCCEEW’s report on the outcomes of the reform consultation process showed strong support for reform Option 3. Specifically: - 80% of respondents preferred Commonwealth regulation of packaging, rather than a state and territory-based approach, and - 65% support Option 3.
APCO is working closely in support of the reform process and will remain closely engaged with governments to ensure that implementation of the Strategy can be aligned as required as the reform process continues.
Will the 2030 Strategic Plan affect my Membership fees?
Following targeted consultation, APCO member fees will be calculated using a cost recovery model. This will incentivise those brand owners that eliminate and reduce packaging, adopt reuse models, and transition to materials and formats that are easier to recycle.
How will the new fee model determine material fees?
Fees for materials placed on the markets will consider two things:
-The cost to be borne to deliver required outcomes for those materials in the downstream system (e.g. supporting the establishment and operation of a collection and recycling pathway for soft plastics). This will be specific to each material and the intention will be to avoid cross-subsidisation between materials.
-Incentivising and rewarding better packaging design, for example through lower fees for materials that are highly recyclable at kerbside relative to materials that are often contaminants or problematic in recycling systems.
Where will fees raised be used?
Fees raised through the new fee model will be invested in the downstream system to overcome economic barriers that have hindered progress towards national packaging targets. This direct support for high-quality collection, recycling and packaging stewardship activities that, additional to business-as-usual, will enable the achievement of recycling targets and the production of high-quality Australian recycled content.
How will the new fee model be phased overtime?
Downstream outcomes and the cost recovery model to support them will be phased in over several years, both in relation to the scale of outcomes sought in the downstream system and the scope of the cost recovery model. Subject to consultation, the model introduced for FY27 will aim to enable programs for the delivery of measurable downstream outcomes to be commenced by the end of FY27 across all key streams, while also enabling members to manage the adjustment to the new model. For example, for FY27 the model could require reporting of data on key material streams and enable CDS-recycled material and reusable packaging on a second or subsequent rotation to be reported and excluded. More sophisticated reporting, for example a more detailed breakdown of materials and recyclability and exclusion of packaging reported under other EPR and brand owner recycling programs, could be phased in as soon as practicable after FY27. It is also possible that the model could include a base fee similar to APCO’s existing member fee, plus an EPR component that is modulated by material type.
For a full list of 2030 Strategic Plan FAQs click here.
The National Packaging Targets provide a framework for collective, national action on waste management, recycling and resource recovery for our product packaging. They are:
- 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging.
- 70% of plastic packaging being recycled or composted.
- 50% of average recycled content included in packaging.
- The phase out of problematic and unnecessary single-use plastics packaging.