Soft Plastic Stewardship Australia (SPSA) and the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) have partnered to accelerate a clear, practical pathway for soft plastics stewardship across Australia. This collaboration brings SPSA’s work expanding collection and recycling pathways together with APCO’s established national systems for reporting, invoicing, packaging guidance and extended producer responsibility administration. The result is a coordinated model that avoids duplication in levies, reporting and administration while delivering strong data integrity and greater confidence for brands, retailers and the wider value chain.

The partnership strengthens industry’s ability to deliver a scalable, cost-effective national system for soft plastic recycling. By aligning packaging design, labelling, collection and recycling infrastructure, and supporting broader policy reform, we can give brands and retailers greater assurance that these elements are evolving together. SPSA will continue to drive the expansion of collection and recycling pathways in collaboration with retailers, councils, recyclers and industry partners, while APCO provides scheme administration through its proven national processes and leadership on improved soft plastics design outcomes via its packaging guidance and the Australasian Recycling Label Program.

Practical benefits for industry include more efficient reporting and invoicing, stronger scheme data integrity, greater confidence in labelling, and clearer signals for future packaging decisions.

This partnership marks an important step toward a more coordinated, credible and scalable national approach to soft plastics stewardship.