Hunter Joint Organisation criticises Commonwealth's abandoned mandatory packaging standards decision

Newy 87.8 FM – The Hunter Joint Organisation has criticised the Commonwealth Government's decision to abandon mandatory national packaging standards, warning the move shifts costs onto councils and ratepayers.

The organisation said it shared the disappointment felt across Australia's circular economy, recycling and waste sectors following the decision.

Australians use more than 1.3 million tonnes of plastic packaging each year, with more than 1 million tonnes ending up in landfill or as litter. The environmental costs of plastic packaging are projected to exceed $5 billion by 2050.

The Hunter Joint Organisation said that without nationally regulated packaging reform, councils and ratepayers will continue carrying much of the financial burden of managing packaging waste, despite years of calls for producers to take greater responsibility.

While the decision has been linked to cost-of-living concerns, the organisation said local communities are already paying to manage much of this waste through council kerbside collections, landfills, recycling services and clean-up programs.

It said claims a mandatory scheme would significantly increase costs have been challenged, with modelling indicating a packaging stewardship scheme could add as little as 20 to 30 cents to the average weekly grocery bill.

The organisation said the reform was about creating conditions for a stronger circular economy, supporting investment, creating jobs and recovering valuable materials, and warned that delaying action at a time of increasing pressure on landfill capacity only makes the challenge harder and more expensive to address.

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