94% want national plastics recycling plan: new report reveals

A new industry report has found Australians want a national plan for consistent plastics recycling rules across all states.

Now in its fifth year, the 2026 Recycling Behaviours Report by waste management and resource recovery company Cleanaway surveyed 1000 people and found 94 per cent of respondents supported a circular economy for packaging in Australia, while 92 per cent backed national rules for recycled content in plastic packaging, and 89 per cent believe there should be stronger rules for manufacturers and brands to help reduce waste.

The report also found that 94 per cent of surveyed Australians want one national plan with consistent plastics recycling rules across all states. Twenty-two per cent of these see brands and manufacturers as having a key role to play – reflecting a growing expectation that creating packaging and managing what happens to it should go hand in hand.

Additionally, 99 per cent of Australians support a circular economy model that keeps materials in use through resource recovery, recycling and reuse for all types of items.

Jeroen Wassenaar, Head of Innovation at Cleanaway, said the findings are a promising signal of where Australia stands on recycling and where it needs to go next.

“What’s so encouraging about this year’s findings is just how engaged Australians are,” he said.

“More than four in five (83 per cent) want national consistency in recycling standards. They believe in recycling, they believe in a circular economy, and they’re ready to play their part. The opportunity now is for industry, policymakers and manufacturers to keep working together to match that momentum with reforms that reflect this ambition.”

Cleanaway has already responded to this growing sentiment by progressing plans for its own advanced soft plastics recycling facility, delivered in partnership with Viva Energy.

The joint venture, Cycleback Plastics, moved from pre-feasability into its engineering phase in April 2025, though final investment decisions for the project are contingent on mandatory product stewardship and recycled content levels in soft plastics to be legislated federally.

Beyond packaging, Cleanaway’s 2026 Recycling Behaviours Report tracked consumer awareness across general recycling, food organics and garden organics (FOGO), and battery disposal.

In these areas, public willingness to be sustainable is high, and consistent infrastructure and clear rules are the next pieces to be developed.

Thirty per cent of surveyed Australians now have a separate FOGO bin, and of those, 74 per cent actively use it. Even among those without access, 86 per cent of Australians believe the national rollout of FOGO services will help reduce waste to landfill, while 82 per cent believe FOGO recycling will help reduce greenhouse gases. Where households don’t yet have access to a service, 57 per cent cite the lack of kerbside collections as the primary barrier.

According to Cleanaway, this signals that uneven rollout, not unwillingness, is what’s holding FOGO recycling back.

Cleanaway’s 2026 Recycling Behaviours Report was conducted in partnership with the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.