Export Packaging Sustainability Requirements for Taiwan Brands in Australia

Australia has committed to making all packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025 under the National Packaging Targets (now extended and revised). The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) administers compliance for brand owners and importers. Taiwan brands selling in Australia are increasingly required by retailers to demonstrate packaging sustainability commitments.

The Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) programme, managed by Planet Ark and APCO, provides consumer-facing guidance on how to dispose of each component of a product's packaging. Major Australian retailers now require or strongly prefer products bearing the ARL.

The ARL is a packaging assessment and labelling programme that evaluates each packaging component (primary, secondary, tertiary) against Australasian recycling infrastructure and provides a three-icon guidance system: "Recycle," "Check Locally" or "Don't Recycle." The assessment considers actual kerbside collection capability, not theoretical recyclability.

To apply the ARL to your product, join the ARL programme via Planet Ark's website, submit packaging specifications and receive component-level guidance. Programme fees are based on company revenue. The ARL licence allows use of the label artwork on packaging. Retailers including Coles and Woolworths have made ARL a standard requirement for new product submissions.

If your Australian annual revenue from packaged products exceeds AUD 5 million, you are a Large Format Member of APCO and must complete the annual PREP (Packaging Recyclability Evaluation Portal) assessment and submit an APCO Annual Report demonstrating progress toward the National Packaging Targets.

Below AUD 5 million, APCO membership is voluntary but demonstrates commitment to sustainability — increasingly evaluated by B2B buyers, retailer sustainability teams and ESG-conscious consumers. Join as a Small Business Member for a nominal annual fee.

Woolworths Group requires all own-brand and major branded suppliers to have packaging that is recyclable or compostable by 2025 and to carry the ARL. Coles Group has similar requirements under its Coles Sustainability Policy. Bunnings (Wesfarmers) applies green procurement criteria to hardware and garden product packaging.

For Taiwan brands seeking retail distribution in Australia, ask the buyer at onboarding whether their company has a sustainable packaging policy and what certifications or labels are required. Prepare a packaging sustainability statement as part of your supplier credentials package.

Australian kerbside collection accepts: paper and cardboard (uncoated), hard plastics (PET, HDPE, PP with clean residue), glass bottles and aluminium cans. Not typically collected kerbside: soft plastics (bags, wraps), polystyrene foam, composite packaging (plastic + foil laminates), sachets and pouches.

Redesign export packaging to eliminate non-recyclable components: replace polystyrene protective inserts with moulded pulp or cardboard; replace plastic window panels with die-cut openings; replace composite lid/base sets with mono-material alternatives. Print recyclability instructions on the packaging and apply the ARL.

Australia's REDcycle soft plastics collection programme (operated through supermarket drop-off bins) was suspended in 2022 due to stockpiling issues. A replacement national soft plastics infrastructure is being developed under the Australian Government's National Plastics Plan. Until a new system is established, packaging that relies on soft plastics recycling for its "recyclable" claim has no valid end-of-life pathway in Australia.

Avoid using soft plastics (PE bags, BOPP film outers) as primary packaging for products marketed on sustainability grounds. Switch to paper-based alternatives or mono-material rigid plastics that are accepted in kerbside collection.