Call for Producer Responsibility Reform

Call for Producer Responsibility Reform

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A coalition of industry, business, and conservation groups is urging Australian governments to enact mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations under the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020.

This open public petition calls on the September 2026 Environment Ministers' Meeting (EMM) to establish a clear regulatory roadmap to transition Australia away from costly fragmentation, struggling voluntary schemes and toward mandatory producer accountability, aligning Australia with over 80 nations globally.

Key Demands & Objectives:

  • Regulate EPR: Utilise existing powers under the RaWR Act to mandate that producers share responsibility for financing and managing their products and packaging, reducing reliance on governments, taxpayers and ratepayers.
  • Establish a National Roadmap: Commit to a 6-to-24-month regulatory roadmap starting at the EMM to enact regulations for priority sectors by the end of 2028. This will enable EPR schemes to start, evolve and grow.
  • Empower the National EPA: Appoint the National EPA as the primary one regulator to streamline, ensure equity, targets andcompliance by Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) and a level playing field for local and importing producers.
  • Support Industry-Led, Not-For-Profit Models: Recognise non-profit PROs as best for circular economy initiatives, driving eco-friendly products, design, and expand reuse, repair, and recycling infrastructure for benefit of all Australians.
  • Grow Priority Sectors & Co-Investments: Enable Australian communities, businesses, governments to flourish with Secure long-term certainty for existing circular economy investments across high-priority industries, including batteries, packaging, plastics, textiles, tyres, flooring, and solar PV.

This petition is generously hosted by Boomerang Alliance as part of the coalition of groups coordinated by Helen Millicer. Signatory details will not be used by any of the parties/groups involved. Thank you for joining your voice to this campaign for better products and packaging for all Australians now and for decades to come.

For more information or to read Helen's EPR report please see here: http://www.helenmillicer.com/media/EPR-report/

For more information on the Boomerang Alliance, please see here: https://www.boomerangalliance.org.au/

A coalition of industry, business, and conservation groups is urging Australian governments to enact mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations under the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020.

This open public petition calls on the September 2026 Environment Ministers' Meeting (EMM) to establish a clear regulatory roadmap to transition Australia away from costly fragmentation, struggling voluntary schemes and toward mandatory producer accountability, aligning Australia with over 80 nations globally.

Key Demands & Objectives:

  • Regulate EPR: Utilise existing powers under the RaWR Act to mandate that producers share responsibility for financing and managing their products and packaging, reducing reliance on governments, taxpayers and ratepayers.
  • Establish a National Roadmap: Commit to a 6-to-24-month regulatory roadmap starting at the EMM to enact regulations for priority sectors by the end of 2028. This will enable EPR schemes to start, evolve and grow.
  • Empower the National EPA: Appoint the National EPA as the primary one regulator to streamline, ensure equity, targets andcompliance by Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) and a level playing field for local and importing producers.
  • Support Industry-Led, Not-For-Profit Models: Recognise non-profit PROs as best for circular economy initiatives, driving eco-friendly products, design, and expand reuse, repair, and recycling infrastructure for benefit of all Australians.
  • Grow Priority Sectors & Co-Investments: Enable Australian communities, businesses, governments to flourish with Secure long-term certainty for existing circular economy investments across high-priority industries, including batteries, packaging, plastics, textiles, tyres, flooring, and solar PV.

This petition is generously hosted by Boomerang Alliance as part of the coalition of groups coordinated by Helen Millicer. Signatory details will not be used by any of the parties/groups involved. Thank you for joining your voice to this campaign for better products and packaging for all Australians now and for decades to come.

For more information or to read Helen's EPR report please see here: http://www.helenmillicer.com/media/EPR-report/

For more information on the Boomerang Alliance, please see here: https://www.boomerangalliance.org.au/

Call for Extended Producer Responsibility

The Hon Anthony Albanese MP, Prime Minister of Australia,
The Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP, Treasurer,
Senator the Hon Tim Ayres MP, Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science, Senator the Hon Murray Watt MP, Minister for the Environment and Water and State and Territory Environment Ministers,

We write as a united alliance of industry bodies, trade associations and conservation organisations representing thousands of businesses, employers and communities across Australia covering a substantial cross-section of the economy.

We urge you to use the forthcoming Environment Ministers' Meeting (EMM) in September 2026 to confirm key principles and a national pathway for regulated Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes under the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020 (RAWR Act).

Over the last decade Australian industry, community organisations and governments have come to recognise the necessity to regulate producer responsibility. The benefits of regulated EPR are now overwhelming. More than 80 nations have regulated EPR schemes to ensure producers share responsibility for the products and packaging put into their markets. Well-designed schemes also strengthen industry, improve productivity, increase investment in domestic recycling and manufacturing, create jobs, reduce waste and pollution, and deliver greater certainty for business and citizens. 

Australia is an outlier and improvements are only feasible with regulated EPR. 

Concerns in Australia that regulated EPR would increase the cost of living are not supported by reports or evidence here or overseas. If mandatory EPR inherently increased household costs, it would not have been adopted and expanded across so many countries, including many of Australia's trading partners and competitors and such diverse economies as Brazil, Chile, Canada, Italy and Korea. Instead, these countries demonstrate that EPR is the most efficient way to allocate responsibility for input products and to coordinate the funding of product management than Australia’s current gaps and patches that relies on taxpayers, ratepayers and governments.

The limitations of Australia’s voluntary schemes are clear. Without regulation services remain uncertain and inadequate when dozens or thousands of obliged producers can shirk their responsibilities. The fact is Australian households and businesses are already paying heavily via their rates, taxes and in purchasing sub-standard products and service coordination. This imbalance will remain until national EPR regulations come into effect. The choice is to stagnate and lose or to innovate and grow.

Urgent commitments are required. 

Industry sectors, communities and members are anxious as further delay will result in closures and/or decline of yet more Australian industry sectors, manufacturing and national resilience in an increasingly competitive world.

By adopting regulations already common internationally, Australian businesses will compete more fairly at home and abroad. Australian supply chains and communities will flourish with revitalised and scaled up reuse, repair and recycling businesses, and more resilient circular industries and lower emissions. Australian households will have access to better products and packaging like households in many countries around the world. EPR regulations are central to this fair and stronger future.

Facts and principles supporting Governments for the September EMM 2026 Communique:

  • Use existing powers: The Australian Government already has the authority through the RAWR Act to establish new mandatory national EPR schemes for priority products. This is not new, it has done so before and can do so again.
  • Progress national implementation: the National Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) is underway, and the Australian Minister for Environment can move forward simultaneously drafting regulations for EPR schemes which could come into effect from mid-2027 onwards. The IGA is a welcome action that can support strategy, delegation, collaboration and unification for national productivity. This will reduce fragmentation, duplication and costs. 
  • Strengthen national governance: Industry, communities and governments increasingly recognise the National EPA as the appropriate regulator for regulated EPR schemes and Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) to improve efficiency, consistency, and national regulatory symmetry. It can be delegated power over regulated PROs and obliged producers ensuring they meet and help government deliver on key productivity policies and targets. The National EPA can enforce compliance, reduce free riding, ensure equity, efficiency and streamline systems and reporting for all producers, PROs and governments.
  • Commit to implementation: The Australian Government can announce its commitment to draft regulations for mandatory producer responsibility and start in areas of need with highest public and industry backing. Over the next 3-6 months it can prepare tenders to establish schemes with more details including scope to be resolved. 
  • Support proven PRO models: Around the world and increasingly in Australia industry-led, not-for-profit regulated PROs are recognised as providing the best-value EPR model delivering greatest public benefit and circular economy outcomes. NFP PROs start small, evolve, are flexible, collaborate and are the vehicle for eco-modulated fees that deliver to government and public requirements for sweeping improvements in design, reuse, recycling and repair services.
  • Grow or lose priority sectors: After a decade of regulatory delay, priority sectors urgently require announcements to prevent the loss of industry-led NFP schemes, industry and government investments and infrastructure. The loss of schemes, investment, trust and confidence would make it very costly or impossible for Australia to restart and rebuild. 
  • Implement regulatory roadmap: Our position is that the September EMM Communique should outline a 6-24 month roadmap to come into effect by end of 2028 for national regulations of priority sectors providing greater certainty for governments, businesses and communities. Australian governments are encouraged to make further announcements on EPR frameworks and other circular reforms in coming months.
  • Provide long-term certainty: Australian governments, industry and communities have already co-invested hundreds of millions of dollars and time in circular economy initiatives on batteries, packaging, plastics, mattresses, tyres, flooring, clothing and solar PV. Mandatory EPR will provide a focus, coordination and fix to our broken system: it will protect these investments and enable growth, innovation and marked improvements to standard of living and productivity.  

We, the undersigned thank Federal, State and Territory Governments for demonstrating their commitment to positive policy in the areas of climate change, energy, consumer protection, industry innovation and household financial stability. The vehicle emission regulations are a prime example.

Delivering the same commitment using producer responsibility regulations will support these policies, align Australia with standard practices of our key trading partners, and importantly strengthen our communities, businesses, environment and economy for decades into the future. 

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