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Department of Agriculture

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  1. Home
  2. Environment
  3. Environment protection
  4. Waste and recycling
  5. Product stewardship in Australia

Sidebar first - EN - Protection

  • Waste and recycling
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Product stewardship in Australia

Everyone who imports, designs, produces, sells, uses and disposes of products has a shared responsibility to reduce the environmental and human health and safety impacts of those products.

Product stewardship schemes support the environmentally sound management of products and materials over their life. This includes at the end of their useful life. These arrangements may be voluntary, mandatory or shared with industry.

Examples of good product stewardship are when:

  • people recycle products, and their packaging
  • companies design their products for easier recycling
  • companies use more recycled materials and less resources to manufacture their products
  • companies limit the hazardous materials their products contain.

See current arrangements and government priorities.

Government accreditation

The Australian Government accredits arrangements that effectively manage the negative environmental impacts of products throughout their life.

How to get your arrangement accredited.

Investment fund

The National Product Stewardship Investment Fund provides financial support to set up new product stewardship arrangements or improve existing ones. It also funds the Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence.

Find out more about the investment fund.

Australian Packaging Covenant

The Australian Packaging Covenant is an arrangement between governments and industry. It reduces the negative environmental impacts of consumer packaging. The arrangement focuses on sustainable package design, increasing recycling rates and reducing litter.

Read how businesses are committing to change.

Our role

Laws

We administer laws that provide tools and mechanisms to support Australia’s transition to a circular economy.

  • Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020
  • Recycling and Waste Reduction (Product Stewardship – Accreditation of Voluntary Arrangements) Rules 2020
  • Product Stewardship (Televisions and Computers) Regulations 2011
  • Product Stewardship (Oil) Act 2000

National targets

Australia has set ambitious waste management targets.

Product stewardship plays an important role in meeting these targets. We are working to:

  • adopt a common, national approach to policy and regulation
  • improve access to services for regional Australians
  • increase industry capacity.
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Last updated: 03 October 2021

© Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.