Australasian Recycling Symbols: Signs, Icons & Logos

Australasian Recycling Label

The Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) is an evidence-based system for Australia and New Zealand, that provides you with easy to understand recycling information when you need it most. It removes confusion, saves you time and reduces waste going to landfill.

Check it! Before you Chuck it

Check It! Before You Chuck It is a new campaign encouraging us all to always check the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) when disposing of packaging. Always following the ARL ensures food packaging, bottles and containers are disposed of correctly and can be recovered for future use in new products.

Take a look at the animation above – we guarantee you’ll be hearing the jingle in your head the next time you’re at the bin!

How Does It Work?

There are three types of label classifications:

Why Do We Need It?

Australians and New Zealanders care about the environment and want to do the right thing. But with hundreds of recycling labels out there, getting recycling right can be confusing and even recycling gurus get it wrong.

The ARL removes recycling confusion. When we dispose of our waste correctly, we keep contamination out of the recycling stream and recyclable material away from landfill.

Unlike other labels, the ARL is an evidence-based system underpinned by the Packaging Recyclability Evaluation Portal (PREP). As not all packaging is created equal, not all recycling labels should be the same. It is not possible for food packaging, bottles or containers to have the ARL without a PREP assessment that backs up disposal claims.

PREP assesses not only the materials used to manufacture a piece of packaging, but also its shape, weight, size, inks, adhesives used and many other variables. PREP simulates the behaviour of packaging in the Australian and New Zealand recycling ecosystems, from the moment it is collected to when it is sorted at Materials Recovery Facilities and in subsequent processing facilities, ready to become new packaging or a product.

The availability of collection services is also accounted for. PREP assesses the piece of food packaging against the number of people who can recycle it via their council kerbside collection service. Kerbside access levels are determined using the data from RecyclingNearYou.com.au for Australia, and WasteMINZ data for New Zealand, which is updated annually.

If more than 80% of the population with kerbside recycling can recycle an item, it is considered Widely Accepted. Where 60-80% of the population has access, it is considered Less Widely Accepted and consumers are encouraged to make informed decisions about packaging disposal that align with the availability of collection services in their local area. If less than 60% of the population with kerbside recycling can recycle an item, it is considered below the threshold of recyclability and classified as not-recyclable. 

The technical recyclability and council collection status combine to inform whether a packaging item is recyclable, not recyclable or if consumers have to take an extra step to recycle an item. 

Like what you are watching?

Get the Playlist!

Know The Labels

Recyclable: The coloured/opaque recycling symbol, means that this piece of packaging can be placed in the recycling bin as it is. Each piece of packaging with this label has to be placed separately in the recycling bin.
Conditionally Recyclable: The clear/ transparent recycling symbol means that you must follow the instructions to recycle this packaging component. If you don’t follow the instructions it has to go in the rubbish bin, as it will otherwise not be recycled and cause contamination to the recycling stream.
Not Recyclable: The bin symbol, means that this piece of packaging is not recyclable and you must place it in the rubbish bin. DO NOT place it in the recycling bin. It will not get recycled and it will contaminate the recycling stream.

Conditionally Recyclable Label Instructions

You may have seen the below instructions on your packaging items! Click on each instruction below to find out why you need to follow them for your packaging to be recycled.

Hover over the labels for more information..

Return your item to the soft plastics collection bins in New Zealand. In Australia, collections have been temporarily suspended, a taskforce, made up of major supermarket retailers ALDI, Coles and Woolworths, has been tasked with developing an interim solution to restore community access to soft plastic recycling following the suspension of the REDcycle program. An initial in-store collection pilot is anticipated to launch in select stores in late 2023.

Return your item to the soft plastics collection bins in New Zealand. In Australia, collections have been temporarily suspended, a taskforce, made up of major supermarket retailers ALDI, Coles and Woolworths, has been tasked with developing an interim solution to restore community access to soft plastic recycling following the suspension of the REDcycle program. An initial in-store collection pilot is anticipated to launch in select stores in late 2023.

There will be a change to labelling for soft plastic packaging in Australia. When referring to soft plastic packaging this label advises you to verify local disposal options using the ARL URL for drop-off, out-of-home, and kerbside collection services specific to your area. The 'Check Locally' ARL will be introduced in 2024.

Rinse and dry the packaging before returning it to the soft plastics collection bins in New Zealand. In Australia, collections have been temporarily suspended, a taskforce, made up of major supermarket retailers ALDI, Coles and Woolworths, has been tasked with developing an interim solution to restore community access to soft plastic recycling following the suspension of the REDcycle program. An initial in-store collection pilot is anticipated to launch in select stores in late 2023.

Rinse and dry the packaging before returning it to the soft plastics collection bins in New Zealand. In Australia, collections have been temporarily suspended, a taskforce, made up of major supermarket retailers ALDI, Coles and Woolworths, has been tasked with developing an interim solution to restore community access to soft plastic recycling following the suspension of the REDcycle program. An initial in-store collection pilot is anticipated to launch in select stores in late 2023.

Scrunch aluminium foil to form a ball 2cm or more in diameter and place in the recycling bin. You may need other pieces to form a big enough ball to ensure it can move through the sorting facilities. If too small, it will be screened incorrectly and rejected as waste.

Carefully mould this piece of packaging to form a ball of 2cm or more in diameter and place it in the recycling bin. You may need other pieces to form a big enough ball to ensure it can move through the sorting facilities. If too small, it will be screened incorrectly and rejected as waste.

Fold the packaging component before placing it in the recycling bin. This ensures it can then be sorted correctly at the material recovery facilities to the correct recycling stream.

Flatten the packaging before placing it in the recycling bin. You may see this on very rigid cardboard that may not readily crush in collection trucks. Ensuring cardboard is 2D when placed in the recycling bin will help it to move correctly through the material recovery facilities.

Leave that packaging component attached and place it in the recycling bin. Small or very flat plastic items can be screened into the incorrect recyclate stream and then rejected as waste. This instruction helps us to recover and recycle the those materials that would otherwise be lost to landfill.

These instructions can be found on packaging items where an attachment is a different material to the main packaging item. For example, you may need to remove material handles from a paper bag before placing the bag in the recycling bin. If the component remains attached, it can cause too much contamination for either materials to be recycled.

Separate the two packaging components before placing both in the recycling bin. When separated, these packaging components can be sorted correctly and travel to the appropriate recyclate stream.

Only at Transfer Stations: This instruction can be found on Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) packaging, that can only be recycled if taken to a transfer station. Check recyclingnearyou.com.au to find your closest one in Australia, or check with your local council in New Zealand.

Place small paper components in a used envelope before placing it in the recycling bin. By placing them in an envelope, small pieces of paper are able to be recovered and will not be blow away at recycling facilities.

Crush your bottle and replace the cap afterwards, before putting it in your recycling bin. This ensures that the bottle is empty of potential contaminants, the cap will not come off when compressed and the cap can be recovered and recycled. Please note, this instruction is applicable to kerbside collection only and your state or territory Container Deposit Scheme / Legislation instructions may be different.

Soft Plastics Recycling 

In Australia, collections have been temporarily suspended until further notice. A taskforce, made up of major supermarkets ALDI, Coles, and Woolworths have been tasked with developing an interim solution to restore communict access to soft plastic recycling. A pilot program to re-initiate collections is anticpated to launch in select store in late 2023/early 2024.

Return to Store - Return your item to the soft plastics collection bins is only available in New Zealand

For more information on soft plastic recycling New Zealand, and to find you nearest collection point, head to the Soft Plastics Recycling Scheme website.

Resources 

Toolkits

Councils
Waste Groups
Educators
NGO's & Community Groups

School Lesson Plans

Reports

Get The Label

Planet Ark owns the Trademark for the ARL in Australia and New Zealand, while the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) has an exclusive license of the label to deliver the Australasian Recycling Label Program.

If you are a Brand Owner, or packaging manufacturer who wants to get the Australasian Recycling Label on your packaging, please contact the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) on  arl@apco.org.au or phone (02) 8381 3700.

Contact Us

Have any questions on the ARL? Don’t hesitate to contact us!

Partnerships

APCO, Planet Ark and PREP Design are working in partnership to deliver the Australasian Recycling Label Program. This will help consumers better understand how to recycle products effectively and assist Brand Owners to design packaging that is recyclable at end-of-life. The ARL Program aims to increase recycling and recovery rates and contribute to cleaner recycling streams.

The ARL Program aims to reduce waste by:

  • Delivering a clear, well-understood label that will provide greater consumer clarity about what packaging can be recycled.
  • Increasing the recovery of recyclable materials and reducing contamination in the waste stream.
  • Helping brands to design packaging that is easier to recycle.
  • Supporting businesses to inform consumers about the recyclability of their packaging.