The 2025 National Packaging Targets apply to all packaging that is made, used, and sold in Australia, and the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) is charged by the Australian government to facilitate the delivery of the 2025 targets.
The Sustainable Packaging Guidelines document includes the National Packaging Targets information and advice on packaging. We highly recommend referring to this document when sourcing or preparing any new packaging formats.
The National Packaging Targets comprise four targets, including:
- 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging. The Recycled Content Guide can be found here.
- 50% of average recycled content include in packaging. Please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions section on APCO’s website for clarification on the average recycled content measurements.
- 70% of plastic is recycled or composted. We recommend the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) program to assess your packaging and provide advice to your customers on where to place the packaging.
- The phase-out of problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic packaging. The action plan provides more information on plastic packaging.
You can contact the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) directly. APCO members are provided assistance and resources to navigate packaging and it is worth noting that under the NEPM Act, there may be requirements for you to report to State and Territory Governments or APCO on your packaging formats. Please see the attached link to understand if you may have any requirements.
The best contact for APCO is apco@apco.org.au and for Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) inquiries, the best email address is arl@apco.org.au