Australian governments impose recycling rules after packaging industry fails on waste

New rules agreed at meeting of environment ministers welcomed as breakthrough by conservationists

Industry will be forced to do more to cut waste and boost recycling after Australia’s federal and state governments agreed for the first time to impose mandatory packaging rules on manufacturers and retailers.

The agreement, at a meeting of environment ministers in Sydney on Friday, was welcomed by conservationists as a major breakthrough after years of voluntary industry action has failed to reduce waste.