Rachel asked if the government would consider a mandatory take-back scheme for expanded polystyrene packaging, after data revealed an alarming amount of polystyrene found on beaches in Victoria’s south-east.
Wednesday the 13th of May 2026,
Victorian Legislative Council
Rachel Payne (South-Eastern Metropolitan):
My constituency question is for the Minister for Environment.
My constituent is a Seaford resident who volunteers with Seaford Beach Patrol and has raised concerns about polystyrene waste.
At Kananook beach in Seaford, local volunteers conducted repeat audits of the same 9-square-metre area of sand. In this small area polystyrene was found 91 per cent of the time. Seaford Beach Patrol estimates that there are over 20,000 pieces of polystyrene littering Kananook beach alone. My constituent notes that this reflects a broader issue, with significant volumes of expanded polystyrene going into landfill each year.
Expanded polystyrene is recyclable when collected and kept separate. However, there is currently no requirement for businesses to recover or take responsibility for this material.
My constituent asks: will the minister consider a mandatory take-back and recovery scheme for clean expanded polystyrene packaging, so that businesses are responsible for its recovery?
Response received, 3rd August 2026:
Thank you for your question to the former Minister for Environment.
The Victorian Government’s circular economy policy, Recycling Victoria: A new economy, highlights that effective product stewardship schemes are essential to support a successful circular economy. Mandatory product stewardship can require suppliers to be responsible for their product throughout its lifecycle, including its collection, recycling and other actions to reduce waste and maximise recovery.
Existing product stewardship schemes across Australia cover items such as televisions, computers, tyres and fluorescent lights and have driven large improvements in the collection of product waste.
Victoria is advocating for the Australian Government to deliver on its commitment to reform the regulation of packaging and mandate product stewardship requirements for suppliers of all types of packaging, including polystyrene. Requirements would include minimum recyclability standards and minimum local recycled content requirements. These would reduce the generation of unnecessary plastic waste and incentivise businesses to adopt sustainable packaging practices. For further information, please refer to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water website: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/protection/waste/packaging/reforming-packaging-regulation.
More broadly, the Victorian Government is working with the Australian Government and other states and territories to review how product stewardship can be better implemented in Australia.
Jaclyn Symes MP
Minister for Environment
