Member Matters

AFGC appears at Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee

30 June 2026

Last Friday, AFGC appeared before the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee as part of its public  inquiry into the Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme for Packaging (No Time to Waste) Bill 2026.

Despite being a non government Bill there is a low but live legislative risk. AFGC used the hearing to reinforce that our industry supports stronger national action on packaging reform and supports mandatory EPR in principle, where it is targeted to clear market failure.

Our message was clear: federal regulation is needed, but the design matters. Any scheme must be nationally consistent, efficient to implement and developed in partnership with industry. The current Bill sets an important direction, but key details are missing, including how costs would be managed, how obligations would apply across complex supply chains, and how the scheme would avoid duplication with state-based approaches.

AFGC will continue to advocate for practical packaging reform that improves circularity, supports investment and protects the essential role packaging plays in food safety, product integrity and resilient supply chains.

For more information, please contact Sarah Collier.