Australia’s recycling system is under pressure, and local councils and ratepayers are bearing the cost, according to the new report from the Australian Council of Recyclers and the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation, Securing Australia’s Plastic Recycling Future. The report identifies that each year, more than 1 million tonnes of plastic packaging end up in landfill or as litter even though we have the capacity to recycle much of it. 

We support the Australian Local Government Association’s (ALGA) calls for urgent action on national packaging reforms that introduce extended producer responsibility (EPR) requirements for plastic packaging. A nationally consistent product stewardship scheme would make brand owners and retailers responsible for managing their products after they are sold, reduce pressure on councils, give industry clarity, and help ensure recycling infrastructure remains viable across the Hunter region and Australia. 

Without urgent national packaging reform, rising volumes of plastic waste will overwhelm our local services, drive up costs for ratepayers, and put recycling infrastructure and jobs at risk. 

For information on further advocacy, visit our website, which details our shared priorities for 2025-26