Australia

February 18, 2025

Australian drinking water experts and community members call for action on PFAS

During the third inquiry hearing of the Australian Senate Select Committee on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), drinking water experts and affected community members advocated for broader PFAS ban, upgraded water treatment facilities, investigation into PFAS sources, serious consideration of health impacts

Topics: Australia, exposure, PFAS, regulation

Reading time: 3 minutes

October 22, 2024

Australia plans major overhaul of packaging regulation

Australian Government proposes packaging regulation reform; options are, (i) strengthening existing frameworks, (ii) imposing mandatory national standards, or (iii) implementing an extended producer responsibility scheme; aims to ban problematic chemicals and materials; public feedback until October 28, 2024; Australian state of New South Wales also consulting on a plastics plan until November 4, 2024

Topics: Australia, food packaging, packaging, plastics, recycling, regulation

Reading time: 5 minutes

September 13, 2023

Researchers report NIAS migration from baby food pouches

Study performs migration testing on 79 plastic baby food pouches; finds four bisphenols, five phthalic acid diesters in targeted analysis and 26 more in suspect screening including 23 non-intentionally added substances (NIAS); NIAS adipic acid - diethylene glycol exceeds the threshold of toxicological concern in 40% of the pouches

Topics: Australia, migration, NIAS, risk assessment

Reading time: 2 minutes

August 25, 2023

Australian government to start regulating packaging

Australian environment ministers agree to “address the use of harmful chemicals in food packaging,” create packaging design standards and targets, harmonize curbside recycling programs; details forthcoming

Topics: Australia, plastic, recycling, regulation, targets

Reading time: 3 minutes

July 1, 2021

New Zealand and two Australian states phase out single-use plastics

New Zealand Ministry for the Environment announces plan to ban many hard-to-recycle and single-use plastic items by mid-2025; includes food packaging made from polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, and some degradable plastics, plus all drink stirrers, single-use tableware, and fruit labels; Western Australia moves Plan for Plastics ahead 4 years, banning most single-use plasticware by end of 2021; New South Wales to eliminate most single-use plasticware within a year

Topics: Australia, New Zealand, plastic ban

Reading time: 2 minutes

May 27, 2021

Plastics Pact launched in Oceania

Sixty stakeholders in Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands form ANZPAC, join the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s global Plastics Pact initiative; 11th plastic pact overall, second regional pact and first in Oceania; 2025 goals include: 100% of plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable, 25% increase in plastic packaging collected and recycled by each country in the region

Topics: Australia, circular economy, New Zealand, plastics

Reading time: 1 minute

April 20, 2021

Australia releases National Plastic Plan

Australian government announces National Plastic Plan; outlines approaches to plastic recycling, replacing unnecessary plastics, reducing plastics’ impact on the environment; proposes investments in prevention, recycling, consumer education, research, and development

Topics: Australia, microplastics, plastics, recycling, reuse