The Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia (SPSA), developed after the collapse, is establishing a renewed packaging scheme to collect soft plastics from supermarkets and plastic producers, towards contributing to the effort to fund a recycling supply chain.

SPSA have also begun kerbside recycling trials in nine councils in SA, Victoria and NSW. One close to our local home is the Soft Plastics Acceptance at Anglesea Transfer Station by the Surf Coast Shire. Residents in these councils can drop off clean, soft plastics, including plastic bags, bread bags, chip packets, cling wrap, pet food bags, and squeeze pouches. Since the trial in 2024, a combined 890 kilograms of soft plastics have been collected. 

Experts argue that mandatory recycled-content standards would help drive demand for recycled plastic, making recycling more viable and economically stable. Implementing regulations that take into account a product’s whole lifecycle allows for improved packaging design and functionality.

This is a fantastic opportunity for your brand to demonstrate sustainable packaging material redesign, lighter packaging or recyclable alternatives and compliance with a circular economy and recycled content standards. 

If you’re a business handling packaging (especially soft plastics), now is the time to get ahead. We can help you by:

• Conducting PREP reports that assess your current packaging and emerging regulatory expectations (e.g. design for recyclability, recycled content).
• Packaging compliance assessments to ensure your materials, supply chain, labels, and claims meet both current regulations and those likely to come.
• Reporting your packaging efforts, being able to demonstrate compliance with regulators and customers.

Discuss with us today your current status of recycling and where it can take you.

The states have announced plans to expand their container deposit schemes (CDS) to broaden the range of beverage containers eligible for refund with South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas acknowledging it’s time to take the next step and show the dedication to making sure that they are having a positive environmental impact when they choose to recycle, which is most people, he acknowledged.

The changes are expected to align with the continued positive national efforts, improving consistency across states and providing greater clarity for producers, retailers, and recyclers. This expansion will likely cover additional packaging formats currently outside the 10c refund scope, further supporting recycling rates and reducing litter.

For businesses, this means upcoming adjustments to packaging compliance, labelling, and reporting obligations. Companies operating nationally will particularly benefit from the move towards greater uniformity, but should prepare early for potential changes to product registration, refund marking, and supply chain processes.

We’ll continue monitoring the regulatory details as they develop. If your business needs support with packaging compliance, container deposit registrations, or labelling updates, our team can help you stay compliant and ready for 2027.

This update provides an essential tool for understanding the nutritional profile of foods consumed in Australia today.

AUSNUT (Australian Food, Supplement and Nutrient Database) is a national database that contains detailed information on the nutrient content of thousands of Australian foods, beverages, and dietary supplements. It includes values for macronutrients, micronutrients, and other dietary components.

What’s New?

• Updated food composition data that reflects the current Australian food supply.
• Inclusion of both commonly consumed foods and newer products that reflect changes in the marketplace.
• Expanded detail to support food regulation, labelling, and compliance work.

Our team specialises in helping businesses navigate and apply resources like AUSNUT to support compliance, labelling accuracy, and product development. For businesses working in food regulation, we can support you to use the resource to:

• Support labelling compliance of nutrient declarations
• Benchmark your product’s nutrient profile against similar foods.
• Providing evidence for claims or compliance checks

Whether you need assistance in interpreting the data for nutrition information panels, validating product claims, or aligning with FSANZ requirements, we provide the expertise to ensure your products meet regulatory standards while staying competitive in the market.

The review found that many labels are covered with claims, referring to terms such as “natural,” “no added sugar,” or “supports growth and development,” which may not be fully supported by product formulation or permitted under the Food Standards Code. New research has shown that in the Australian and New Zealand market, there is a need for a reflection of the true nature of the products of whole fruit and vegetables.  

The findings point to a widening gap between marketing practices and regulatory requirements. In particular, nutrient content and health claims are tightly regulated in Australia, and companies making unsupported or misleading statements risk breaching the Australian Consumer Law, as well as standards enforced by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).

For businesses in the infant food sector, this research serves as a timely reminder to carefully review labelling, marketing, and promotional materials to ensure all claims are evidence-based and compliant. Regulatory scrutiny in this space is expected to increase, and proactive compliance measures can help avoid reputational and legal risks.

If you need assistance with claim validation, label reviews, or compliance advice for infant food and broader packaged products, our team can help you navigate the rules with confidence