Australia Needs Mandatory National EPR Framework to Fix Fragmented Packaging System, Report Finds

Sustainability expert Helen Millicer has released a report calling for Australia to transition from a voluntary packaging stewardship model to a mandatory, nationally coordinated Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system. The research, which examines over 20 international models, argues that the current state-based and voluntary approaches are inefficient, costly, and hinder investment in circular economy infrastructure. Implementing a national framework under a single regulator would provide the necessary market signals to boost recycling rates and mandate the use of recycled content across the packaging sector.

Helen Millicer, CEO of One Planet Consulting, conducted a six-month study of international producer responsibility systems to address what she describes as Australia's "broken" and fragmented packaging landscape. The research highlights that Australia currently relies on a mix of state-based container deposit schemes, a national covenant, and voluntary targets, which leads to poor accounting of products, extensive "free riders," and high costs for households. Millicer identifies the National EPA as the ideal regulator to oversee a single national framework that would govern both imported and locally manufactured packaging under a unified set of rules, providing the foundation for a modern 21st-century economy.

The report advocates for Australia to adopt governance principles from high-performing nations like Belgium, France, and Italy, which utilize not-for-profit producer responsibility organizations (PROs) rather than multiple for-profit entities. These international models are characterized by trusted data, consistent reporting, and a focus on reinvesting funds into collection, sorting, recycling infrastructure, and consumer education. Millicer notes that Belgium is approaching an 80 percent recycling rate due to consistent investment, and she emphasizes that a mandatory EPR system is the only viable mechanism for introducing and enforcing mandatory recycled content requirements in Australia.

To facilitate this shift, the report recommends that the Federal Government announce mandatory regulations in 2026 to take effect by 2028. This timeline includes an independent transition process and a bridging finance program to allow preferred PROs to scale up their reporting, auditing, and governance systems before full implementation. By replacing existing voluntary initiatives with a coordinated national framework, the packaging industry would receive the clear market signals and investment certainty required to build the sorting and reprocessing infrastructure Australia currently lacks.