The Australian Beverages Council Limited (ABCL) has lodged a submission to the Senate inquiry into the Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme for Packaging (No Time to Waste) Bill 2026.

The ABCL supports policies that improve resource recovery, increase recycled content and strengthen Australia’s domestic recycling industry. However, the submission highlights the need for any recycled content requirements to be practical, evidence-based and aligned with food safety requirements.

The submission notes that food and beverage manufacturers rely on access to food-grade recycled materials, which remain limited in Australia. It also recommends that recycled content requirements be developed on a material-specific basis, recognising differences in recycling systems, technical feasibility and supply chain constraints.

The ABCL also emphasises the importance of ensuring any future federal extended producer responsibility framework complements Australia’s existing Container Deposit Schemes. These schemes are already delivering strong recovery outcomes and represent one of the country’s most mature producer responsibility models.

ABCL Submission to No Time to Waste Bill 2026