Pact Group told a Senate inquiry committee it supports proposed legislation making packaging producers responsible for the disposal and recovery of material they place on the Australian market. The inquiry is reviewing the Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme for Packaging (No Time to Waste) Bill 2026.

Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson put forward the bill. If passed, the legislation would impose a legal duty on producers, importers, and distributors to manage packaging at the end of its life and turn Australia's National Packaging Targets into compulsory legal requirements.

Pact, an Australian business engaged in plastic packaging and recycling, told the committee that progress on sustainable packaging is not "fast enough." The company stated that the main barrier to sustainable packaging was not technical capability, but the absence of regulation and weak demand for recycled material. Pact noted that while some brand owners have moved towards more sustainable packaging, others have not due to a lack of incentive.

"Our vision is to lead the circular economy, and we work with our customers and the industry — from global brands to small Australian dairies — to design packaging that is 100% recyclable and increasingly made with recycled plastic," Pact Group told the committee. The company added that the present voluntary system and packaging targets have not produced the level of change required.

In the last year, Pact made more than 189,000 tonnes of plastic packaging and related products, with recycled plastic accounting for 16% of output. The company runs eight large plastic recycling sites across Australia and New Zealand and supplies packaging for food, drinks, dairy, and household goods, as well as reusable crates and clothing hangers.

"We urge the Committee to support national action on packaging regulation and to ensure any scheme rewards design for recyclability, the use of recycled content, and investment in Australian recycling infrastructure," Pact Group stated.