Industry collaboration takes aim at Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) packaging

The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) has entered a new partnership with the Coalition for Sustainable Solutions (COFOSS) to address one of the most persistent challenges in electronics packaging: expanded polystyrene (EPS).

Lightweight and effective for protecting appliances during transport, EPS remains challenging for consumers to recycle.

The partnership unites APCO’s national stewardship expertise and COFOSS’s deep understanding of the consumer electronics and home appliance sectors.

It builds on APCO’s Action Plan for Problematic and Unnecessary Single-Use Plastic Packaging and its Roadmap to Implement the National Phase Out of Business-to-Consumer EPS Packaging, which outlines APCO’s goal to phase out problematic Business-to-Consumer (B2C) EPS formats while advancing viable recovery and recycling pathways.

The collaboration aligns with the objectives of the Australian Government’s National Plastics Plan.

APCO Chief Executive Officer Chris Foley said the partnership marks a key step forward for industry collaboration.

“This is a clear signal that industry is stepping up to take meaningful action on one of Australia’s most challenging packaging materials,” Foley said.

“Expanded polystyrene has long been difficult to recycle, and solving it requires a coordinated, evidence-based response.”

Foley said collaboration with COFOSS would bring scale and focus to the issue.

“By working with COFOSS, APCO is combining the scale of more than 2400 members across the packaging value chain with the specialist knowledge of electronics and appliance brands. It’s the kind of cooperation Australia needs to build a truly circular economy.”

Kurt Hegvold, COFOSS Chair and Managing Director Electrolux Australia and New Zealand, said the partnership represents a practical, solution-focused approach.

“Our sector plays a vital role in addressing the environmental impacts of packaging. By combining our understanding of product protection and recovery challenges with APCO’s national framework, we can advance viable alternatives and improve recycling outcomes.”

Hegvold said the collaboration reflects the shared responsibility required to drive meaningful change.

“This is about delivering real outcomes, supporting brands and retailers to meet their responsibilities, reducing waste across supply chains, and ensuring the sector remains part of the solution as Australia transitions to a circular economy.”

Under the agreement, APCO will provide expertise across the packaging lifecycle, from stewardship and circular design to strengthening end markets for recovered materials. COFOSS will lead engagement across the electronics and appliance sectors, contribute collection and recovery data on EPS, and ensure industry voices directly inform future solutions.

Together, APCO and COFOSS will develop practical, evidence-based recommendations on the design, governance, and funding of circular systems for electronics packaging.

The partnership supports APCO’s 2030 targets, reducing problematic materials, strengthening recycling markets, and embedding shared responsibility across Australia’s packaging value chain.