A new online platform, the ARL Marketplace, is launching this week to coincide with National Recycling Week, aimed at assisting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in helping their customers recycle correctly.
The platform connects businesses with suppliers offering packaging ready to be labelled with the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL), Australia’s only evidence-based recycling label.
The ARL is designed to reduce confusion over recycling by clearly indicating the correct disposal method for all types of packaging. Sandra Dal Maso, head of packaging transformation at the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), said, “On-pack labelling continues to provide a powerful opportunity for businesses to communicate to consumers about recyclability."
The ARL Marketplace is a simple and effective tool for SMEs to ensure they are providing clear recycling instructions, which can increase consumer confidence in their packaging.
"SMEs can find packaging that is ready to label in a few quick and easy steps," Dal Maso explained. "All they need to do is browse the Directory to search and find the packaging they want, contact the supplier for more details, complete their purchase, apply the ARL on-pack and register their products."
The platform’s launch comes in time for National Recycling Week, running from 11–18 November, a period that highlights the importance of proper recycling practices in Australia. Dal Maso points out that SMEs have a critical role in advancing the country’s recycling efforts. “With SMEs making up the majority of businesses in Australia, they are a key part of the puzzle to increase consumer knowledge and engagement.”
Recent research underscores the importance of clear recycling instructions. According to Dal Maso, consumers are increasingly seeking products that offer sustainability and transparency, with 74 per cent of Australians wanting to see the ARL on all packaging. "50 per cent are more likely to buy products that use the ARL," she said.
Beyond helping businesses adopt the ARL, the ARL Marketplace provides SMEs with access to free educational resources, including training modules developed in partnership with the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP). These resources are designed to guide SMEs on how to make accurate and transparent claims about their packaging and avoid the risks of greenwashing. “We’ve developed a series of training modules to help SMEs feel confident about their packaging sustainability journey,” Dal Maso said. “These modules help businesses make sure they’re not making misleading claims about their packaging.”
Small businesses are encouraged to take practical steps towards improving their packaging sustainability. Dal Maso suggests a straightforward process: ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’. “The first step is to look for opportunities to reduce or avoid using packaging materials, then consider re-use options where possible, and finally, design packaging that can be recycled,” she explained. “Another option that some brands have explored is packaging return schemes, encouraging customers to return packaging that can’t be recycled through the kerbside system.”
The ARL Marketplace aims to make it easier for SMEs to adopt these practices and meet consumer demand for more sustainable packaging options. Through this platform, SMEs can play a significant role in reducing plastic waste and supporting recycling efforts across Australia.
