Australian federal data shows 41% of packaging sent to landfill in 2023-24

New Australian federal data shows 41 per cent of the 6.84 million tonnes of packaging placed on the market in 2023-24 was sent to landfill, despite 86 per cent being rated as having good recyclability. The Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR) says the figures underline the cost of a stalled national packaging reform process, and is pressing the Federal Environment Minister to act on mandatory extended producer responsibility and design standards at this week's Environment Ministers' Meeting.

Why this mattersA continued policy stall keeps Australian producers without national EPR or design rules, delaying investment certainty for packaging and recycling infrastructure.

• Federal data shows 41 per cent of packaging placed on the Australian market went to landfill in 2023-24.
• Of 6.84 million tonnes of packaging placed on the market, almost 3 million tonnes was buried.
• 86 per cent of that packaging was assessed as having good recyclability.
• Commonwealth consultation on packaging reform closed in October 2024 with over 80 per cent of respondents favouring Commonwealth regulation and 65 per cent supporting mandatory EPR.
• Australia has about 600,000 tonnes of domestic reprocessing capacity at end of 2024, per Plastics Flows and Fates data.
• WMRR is urging the Federal Environment Minister to act at this week's Environment Ministers' Meeting on mandatory EPR, design standards and export rules.

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