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Help change Australia’s plastic packaging laws


Public consultation has now closed. Thank you so much to everyone who took action! 

 

 

An estimated 145,000 tonnes of Australia’s plastic leaks into the environment every year – about 250 kilograms every minute.

We urgently need strong government action and leadership that prevents plastic pollution at the source by reducing the amount of needless plastics we are producing and using.

Global packaging corporations are making it impossible to avoid plastics. Our marine life, beaches and food are becoming increasingly wrapped in plastic.

Microplastics have been found in 94% of oysters globally and in the gastrointestinal tracts of 62% of fish in Australia.¹ Plastic pollution is found in more than 60% of seabird species, and over half the world’s turtles have eaten marine debris including plastics.²

We must demand stronger packaging laws that hold major corporations to account for their plastic waste.

After a decade of campaigning, the Australian government has launched a reform of the country’s packaging laws.

This is our chance to advocate for stronger packaging laws, including mandatory reduction and reuse targets to end the shocking amount of disposable plastic packaging that big businesses continue to force on us.

Add your name to help reduce the mountains of plastic pollution entering Australia’s oceans.

The government will only move forward with strong reforms to plastic packaging if they hear from you!

Latest Supporters

More information

Show/Hide submission letter

Dear Packaging Reform Taskforce,

[YOUR OPTIONAL PERSONAL MESSAGE WILL APPEAR HERE]

I strongly support action on packaging and recommend that the government proceed with Option 3 – an extended producer responsibility scheme for packaging with mandatory targets for reduction and reuse. This scheme must include bans on problematic, needless plastic packaging that have no place in our economy, including disposable food packaging for dine-in restaurants and closed-loop events.

Option 3 introduces eco-modulated fees that will support a reduction in hard-to-recycle materials. However, I am concerned that the options provided focus heavily on recycling packaging without adequately considering and supporting reuse systems.

Plastic pollution is an environmental crisis that needs to be urgently addressed. Plastics are turning up in our oceans, devastating our marine life and are increasingly linked to human health issues. As plastics leak into the environment at all stages – production, use and disposal, a system that prioritises recycling above waste minimisation and avoidance will not end plastic pollution. A global study found that government strategies focused on recycling would still result in 18 million tonnes of plastic flowing into the ocean each year by 2040. With an average of over 5,000 pieces of plastic packaging used per person each year in Australia, the answer is not to recycle more but to use significantly less.

We urgently need strong government action and leadership that prevents plastic pollution at the source by reducing the amount of needless plastics we are producing and using. Businesses have identified that the major barriers to reuse are cost and the need for the systems to be in place – this reform is Australia’s best opportunity to change both factors through strong regulatory action. Any packaging not needed to protect, transport or make a product safe to handle should be banned.

Australians have been reusing and returning packaging for decades – milk bottles, gas bottles for household barbeques, and, more recently, a rise in household cleaning products in reusable and refillable packaging. These packaging items are complemented by systems that enable convenient exchange.

This reform is Australia’s best opportunity to reset how packaging is designed, used and managed. I am calling for principles, objectives and targets that specifically outline the opportunities for reuse, and regulatory options that will create a system that stops plastic pollution at the source by reducing production and consumption of needless disposable packaging .

The new laws must move Australia towards a truly circular economy that prioritises design, avoidance and reuse, not just a recycling economy. I urgently call on the government to implement regulatory measures to reduce packaging and support businesses’ investment in reusable solutions.

Signed,

[YOUR NAME WILL AUTOMATICALLY APPEAR HERE]

 

Who can make a submission?

Anyone! This consultation is open to the public. We strongly encourage all ocean lovers to add their name.

 

What happens when you press submit?
  • Adding your name will send a submission to the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water as part of its consultation regarding the Reform of Packaging Regulation. You can learn more about the reform and how your submission may be used via the consultation hub.
  • Know that your submission will be read by real people and that taking this action has real impact.

 

References
  1. The Australia Institute. (2024). Plastic waste in Australia and the recycling greenwash.
  2. Wilcox, C., van Sebille, E., & Hardesty, D. (2015). Threat of plastic pollution to seabirds is global, pervasive, and increasing. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(38), 11899-11904.