Australia is entering a period of significant transformation in the packaging sector. For many years the national conversation around packaging focused on recyclability, waste reduction and voluntary industry targets. Today a different shift is underway. Scientific evidence about the presence of microplastics in water and food, combined with stronger global regulations, is creating a new expectation for packaging materials. The future of safe packaging is no longer defined only by end of life recyclability. It is increasingly defined by material verification, scientific evidence, traceability and transparent performance throughout the entire life cycle.
Australia is affected by these changes because global trading systems are evolving. International bodies such as the European Union, OECD and the United Nations are creating new frameworks that require accurate material data, verified environmental behaviour and full life cycle visibility. As these frameworks are adopted internationally, Australian businesses must meet higher standards to retain access to export markets and to satisfy domestic expectations for safety and environmental responsibility.
This article examines the verified science and policy forces driving the rise of material verification programs. It outlines how safe packaging is now evaluated, why new digital passport systems matter, how microplastic research influences packaging regulation and what this means for businesses, regulators and consumers in Australia.
The scientific foundation for safer packaging
The shift toward verified packaging standards is grounded in scientific research. For many years plastic packaging was viewed as inert. New evidence shows that this assumption is no longer appropriate. In 2024 the New England Journal of Medicine reported the presence of microplastics in human arteries. Researchers found that individuals with higher concentrations of microplastic particles had an increased risk of cardiovascular events. This medical evidence confirms that some packaging materials break into particles that can enter the human body.
Additional scientific work from Columbia University and the National Institutes of Health demonstrated that bottled water contained an average of 240 thousand plastic particles per litre. Many of these particles were nanoplastics, small enough to cross cellular barriers. This study confirms that packaging materials can release plastic particles that are consumed by millions of people every day.
These findings influence packaging regulation because they demonstrate that material choice affects human health. Packaging is not merely a container. It is a contributor to environmental exposure pathways. As a result, governments and scientific institutions now require more detailed understanding of how packaging behaves under real world conditions including heat, pressure, sunlight, moisture and landfill environments.
Australia’s regulatory landscape for safe packaging
Australia currently manages packaging safety through a combination of national legislation, voluntary industry frameworks and state based programs. The Australian Packaging Covenant requires businesses to design packaging for sustainability and improved recovery. However this covenant does not fully address material verification or microplastic release.
The Department of Climate Change Energy the Environment and Water provides national reporting through the Australian Plastics Flows and Fates data set. This system confirms that more than 4 million tonnes of plastic were consumed in 2023 to 2024 and most ended in landfill. When landfill contains large volumes of plastic, fragmentation increases the environmental load of microplastics. This highlights the need for packaging materials that do not produce long lasting fragments in the environment.
CSIRO also published a report on bioplastics in Australia. The report identifies the need for consistent national standards and clear verification of biodegradability claims. Without strong verification, products marketed as biodegradable may behave in unpredictable ways. This creates confusion for consumers and challenges for waste operators. The CSIRO report confirms that scientifically verified biodegradation standards are essential for truly safe packaging.
The rise of global material verification frameworks
Australian businesses must respond not only to national priorities but to global regulatory change. Several international frameworks are transforming packaging requirements and influencing how material safety is assessed.
The United Nations Treaty on Plastic Pollution
The UN Treaty currently under negotiation aims to establish legally binding global rules for plastic production, use and waste management. One of the objectives under discussion is the requirement for transparent material data across the plastic life cycle. This would include information about chemical additives, degradation behaviour and environmental impact. If adopted, the treaty will influence packaging standards globally and encourage countries to verify material performance scientifically.
The European Union Digital Product Passport
The European Union has introduced the Digital Product Passport. This system will require packaging and product manufacturers selling into the EU to provide verified information about material composition, environmental performance, sourcing and end of life pathways. Although the passport will roll out in stages, it represents one of the most significant shifts in global supply chain transparency.
For Australian exporters this means that packaging materials must have verified environmental behaviour. Conventional plastics that produce microplastics or contain additives that pose environmental risks may face restrictions. Materials with verified biodegradation and safe breakdown profiles will gain competitive advantage.
OECD guidelines for packaging and the environment
The OECD provides internationally accepted guidance on sustainable packaging. These guidelines emphasise transparency, verifiable performance claims and evidence based decision making. They encourage member nations including Australia to adopt policies that ensure packaging materials do not create long term environmental harm.
The combination of these global systems indicates that safe packaging will increasingly require verified data, not assumptions or untested environmental claims.
Why material verification programs are becoming essential
Material verification programs provide scientific certainty about the behaviour of packaging. These programs evaluate a wide range of criteria including:
• chemical composition
• presence of additives
• potential for microplastic formation
• environmental breakdown behaviour
• toxicity of end products
• suitability for composting or biodegradation
• traceability of sourcing
• compatibility with recycling or recovery systems
Verification ensures that packaging materials are safe across their entire life cycle. It prevents misleading claims such as describing products as biodegradable when they only fragment into smaller particles. It protects consumers from exposure to harmful materials. It also supports businesses by providing transparent standards that can be used to meet Australian and international regulatory requirements.
How material verification supports the transition to biodegradable HDPE and LDPE
One of the most significant opportunities created by verification programs is the ability to distinguish between genuine biodegradable materials and products that merely appear environmentally friendly. Biodegradable HDPE and LDPE technologies that have been scientifically tested can offer safe alternatives to conventional plastics. These materials behave like traditional polyethylene during use but break down in suitable conditions without leaving microplastic fragments.
Material verification confirms that these breakdown processes are complete and do not leave harmful residues. This is essential for maintaining trust in biodegradable technologies and for ensuring that businesses adopting them meet international expectations.
Verification also helps position biodegradable HDPE and LDPE as viable solutions in global packaging strategies. Because the behaviour of these materials can be verified scientifically, they can satisfy requirements under the European Union Digital Product Passport and contribute to compliance with future UN Treaty rules.
The role of traceability and digital systems in safer packaging
Digital tracking systems are becoming central to packaging safety. The rise of digital product passports reflects a broader global trend toward traceability. Safe packaging requires visibility across the entire material journey including sourcing, production, transport, use and disposal.
In Australia traceability also supports circular economy models. If packaging materials can be traced accurately, recycling streams become cleaner and contamination decreases. This improves recovery rates and reduces the environmental burden of waste.
Digital systems can store verified data about packaging materials such as chemical composition and breakdown behaviour. When consumers, regulators or businesses scan a package they can access this information instantly. This increases accountability and encourages companies to choose materials with verified performance.
What the future of safe packaging looks like in Australia
Over the next decade packaging safety in Australia will increasingly rely on:
• scientifically verified materials
• transparent supply chain data
• compliance with international digital passport systems
• reduction of microplastic formation
• strong national standards for biodegradability and recyclable content
• integration of digital tracking and traceability
• partnerships between regulators, manufacturers and scientific institutions
The shift toward material verification is already visible. Businesses seeking to export to Europe will require packaging materials that comply with digital passport requirements. Domestic consumers are also demanding packaging that minimises environmental risk. Scientific evidence continues to strengthen the case for phasing out materials that create microplastics.
Biodegradable materials will play a growing role. However the success of these materials depends entirely on verified performance. Only materials that have been scientifically tested and authenticated will meet the expectations of regulators and consumers.
Conclusion
Safe packaging in Australia is entering a new phase guided by scientific evidence, international regulations and transparency requirements. The rise of material verification programs reflects a global shift toward accountability and data driven decision making. Verified materials protect consumers, strengthen environmental outcomes and ensure businesses remain competitive in global markets.
Australia has the opportunity to lead in the adoption of safe and verified packaging technologies including biodegradable HDPE and LDPE. By aligning with international frameworks such as the European Union Digital Product Passport and supporting rigorous scientific evaluation through CSIRO and national agencies, Australia can build a packaging system that is both safe and sustainable.
The future of packaging will not be defined by appearance or marketing language. It will be defined by verified performance. Australia is now preparing for that future.
Key Summary
• Verified scientific evidence links packaging materials to microplastic and nanoplastic exposure
• Global frameworks such as the EU Digital Product Passport will require data and transparency
• Australia must adopt strong material standards to maintain export competitiveness
• Material verification confirms environmental behaviour and prevents misleading claims
• Biodegradable HDPE and LDPE technologies benefit from verified performance data
• Safe packaging requires traceability, transparent supply chains and digital systems
• Verified materials are essential for the future of sustainable packaging in Australia
Reference
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT. Department of Climate Change Energy the Environment and Water.
Australian Plastics Flows and Fates Reporting 2023 to 2024. Canberra DCCEEW, 2024. Available at: https www.dcceew.gov.au. Accessed on: 14 Dec. 2025.
CSIRO. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.
The State of Bioplastics in Australia. Canberra CSIRO, 2024. Available at: https www.csiro.au. Accessed on: 14 Dec. 2025.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION.
EU Digital Product Passport Initiative. Brussels European Commission, 2024. Available at: https europa.eu. Accessed on: 14 Dec. 2025.
THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE.
Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Human Arteries. Massachusetts NEJM, 2024. Available at: https www.nejm.org. Accessed on: 14 Dec. 2025.
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY; NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH.
Nanoplastics in Bottled Water. New York Columbia University, 2024. Available at: https www.nih.gov. Accessed on: 14 Dec. 2025.
UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME.
Global Treaty on Plastic Pollution. Nairobi UNEP, 2024. Available at: https www.unep.org. Accessed on: 14 Dec. 2025.