For the very first time, a new national benchmarking standard for recycling facilities across Australia has been launched.
Developed by Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) in partnership with the Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR), the Australian Recycling Facilities (ARF) standard provides an independent framework for assessing recycling facilities on a site-by-site basis, recognising that performance can vary across operations and locations.
The ARF standard is designed for recycling facilities that sort and intentionally transform recovered resources into recycled materials and products that meet market specifications and have commercial value.
Formulated through consultation with industry and stakeholders, the AFR ensures that facilities certified under the standard undergo independent third-party assessment against criteria covering environmental management, operational performance, transparency, health and safety, and social responsibility.
“The Australian Recycling Facilities standard is an important step in lifting confidence across the recycling system. This is also about strengthening demand for Australian recyclate. When buyers have confidence in how materials are processed, it supports better procurement decisions and helps unlock investment across the circular economy,” ACOR CEO Suzanne Toumbourou says.
According to GECA, the standard aligns with national priorities and supports the delivery of Australia’s waste, recycling and circular economy targets, including those outlined in the National Waste Policy Action Plan.
These targets include reducing waste generation, increasing resource recovery rates, expanding the use of recycled content and improving data quality across the sector.
Australia’s recycling industry contributes nearly $19 billion in economic activity and supports around 95,000 jobs. Recycling facilities sit at a critical point in this system. They divert waste from landfill and transform recovered materials into valuable resources that can be reintroduced into the economy.
GECA adds that this latest standard recognises the crucial role of these recycling facilities and supports a shift in how recycled materials are understood: not as waste, but as resources.
Applicable to recycling facilities of all types, the standard provides a certification pathway for individual sites while allowing organisations to certify multiple facilities where applicable.
Additionally, the standard confirms that the facilities demonstrate lawful operation and regulatory compliance, have effective hazard, fire and emergency management systems and even address modern slavery, human rights and labour rights risks.
A 2024 Cleanaway Waste Management report found that 41 percent of Australians do not trust that their recycling will be properly recycled, highlighting growing demand for greater transparency and accountability across recycling facilities.
“Australians increasingly expect confidence that materials collected for recycling are being properly recovered and returned to productive use,” GECA CEO Josh Begbie says.
“The ARF standard provides an independent and credible way to recognise facilities that are delivering genuine recycling outcomes and operating to high environmental, operational and social standards.
“By establishing a consistent benchmark for facility performance, we can support better procurement decisions, encourage investment in resource recovery infrastructure and help strengthen Australia’s recycling system.”
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