Update on the future of ANZPAC

After five years of delivery, The Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Islands Plastics Pact (ANZPAC) will begin an orderly wind-down process.  

Since its establishment, ANZPAC has brought businesses, governments and other stakeholders together to drive practical action on plastic packaging across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. 

Through regional targets, shared knowledge, practical guidance and on-the-ground initiatives, ANZPAC turned this collaboration into measurable progress towards a circular economy for plastics.  

The Circular Pacific Plastics (CPP) project delivered in two phases across 2025 and 2026 in Fiji is one of the most recent examples of ANZPAC’s impact. The CPP project saw soft-plastics collection expand from participating businesses into supermarkets, schools and community sites. The project built local capability, generated practical insights and demonstrated approaches that can support greater plastics recovery and circularity across the region.  

Why the wind-down? 

The decision to discontinue the ANZPAC program is in response to both a decline in membership and a number of external challenges, including delays to the United Nations Global Plastics Treaty, reduced regional funding opportunities and continuing regulatory uncertainty in Australia. Together, these factors have made the regional program in its current structure increasingly difficult to sustain.  

What’s next? 

APCO is actively exploring opportunities to transfer the ANZPAC brand and foundational work to a suitable partner that can build on its legacy in the region.  In the meantime, APCO continues to support our Members to improve plastic packaging outcomes and will provide product stewardship support through its Stewardship team.  

Thank you 

We sincerely thank everyone who has supported ANZPAC over the past five years, including our Members, supporters, project delivery partners, grant funders, and the many organisations and individuals who contributed their time, expertise and commitment. This collective contribution has been central to ANZPAC’s achievements and lasting regional impact. 

Further updates on the wind-down process will be provided during the remainder of 2026.  

For questions about ANZPAC or APCO product stewardship support, please contact APCO at stewardship@apco.org.au