We regulate product stewardship arrangements under the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020 and rules. This helps us reduce waste and prevent harmful materials and products from ending up in landfill.
Our approach to compliance assists product stewardship arrangements to comply with the Act. We support and encourage compliance. We respond to potential non-compliance in line with our Compliance Policy.
Provide support
Our compliance focus is to communicate and educate.
To help you understand your obligations and comply with product stewardship laws, we may conduct webinars and presentations, send email updates and provide guidance material.
We aim to support regulatory outcomes. Our compliance activities are risk based and informed by the arrangement, customer and government reporting.
Our compliance tools are specific to:
- voluntary arrangements
- co-regulatory arrangements
- mandatory arrangements.
Compliance – it’s in your best interest
Complying with the law is not only a requirement, it’s in your best interest. Your business’s reputation depends on it.
When you comply, it can increase engagement and productivity of your business. Compliance means ensuring your arrangements and employees follow relevant laws, regulations, standards, and ethical practices.
Our priority compliance actions
Education, help and support
We will educate, help and support you to meet your obligations under the law.
Undertake fit and proper person checks
We undertake fit and proper person checks of administrators when we assess applications for accreditation of a voluntary arrangement and approval a co‑regulatory arrangement. We will also undertake a fit and proper person check of an administrator following a request to replace an administrator.
Audits
We may audit your accredited voluntary arrangement or approved co-regulatory arrangement, or a member of an approved co-regulatory arrangement at any time in relation to certain matters set out in section 109 of the Act.
Monitoring
We may monitor your arrangement to ensure you are complying with the Act.
Investigations
We may investigate your arrangement to gather material in relation to non-compliance with the Act.
Publicise non-compliance
As part of our commitment to transparency and accountability, we may publish information about contraventions of the law, orders to pay a penalty, injunctions that are granted, or decisions in relation to giving an improvement notice, requiring an audit or cancelling accreditation. The information may include the:
- person's or company's name
- illegal activity
- the penalty issued.
Respond to reports of non-compliance
We assess all allegations of non-compliance to determine if we need to take further action. If you report a breach, we will hold your details in strict confidence.
To report a suspected product stewardship breach:
- Call our Environment Compliance Hotline on 1800 110 395
- Email compliance@awe.gov.au
- Write to Environment Compliance, GPO Box 858, Canberra ACT 2601
To report suspected fraud:
- Call our Integrity Hotline on 1800 998 880
- Email integrity@awe.gov.au
- Write to Integrity, GPO Box 858, Canberra ACT 2601
Voluntary product stewardship arrangements
What you must do
If you administer an accredited voluntary arrangement, you must provide us with annual reports. They must include enough information for us to determine you are meeting your accreditation requirements. These reports will be published on our website.
You must also tell us, in writing, if:
- the administrator of the arrangement has changed
- an event occurs that may affect whether the administrator is a fit and proper person
- an event occurs that hinders the ability of the arrangement to meet its outcomes
- an event occurs that hinders the ability of the arrangement to deal with certain matters. This includes governance and organisation matters, financial arrangements, ability to assess policies, use of the product stewardship logo, monitoring and evaluating performance, and managing risk.
Cancelling the accreditation of a voluntary arrangement
We will cancel an accreditation if a product or material under an arrangement is no longer sold in more than one state or territory.
We may also cancel an accreditation in relation to matters that affect the operations of the arrangement. These matters are set out under Section 19 of the Recycling and Waste Reduction (Product Stewardship – Accreditation of Voluntary Arrangements) Rules 2020.
Co-regulatory product stewardship arrangements
The National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS)
The NTCRS scheme provides free collection and recycling services for televisions and computers. This includes printers, computer parts and peripherals.
We monitor the performance and compliance of co-regulatory arrangements.
What you must do
If you administer an approved co-regulatory arrangement, you must:
- deliver the agreed scheme outcomes
- comply with the scheme rules
- provide us with reports which will be published on our website in most circumstances.
You must tell us, as soon as practicable, if:
- an event occurs that hinders the ability of the arrangement to achieve the scheme outcomes
- a liable party becomes a member or ceases their membership with you.
Cancelling the accreditation of a co-regulatory arrangement
We will cancel a co-regulatory arrangement if the minister considers there are sufficient grounds to doing so as outlined in section 87 of the Act.
Other product stewardship arrangements
The Product Stewardship for Oil Scheme operates under the Product Stewardship (Oil) Act 2000. The Australian Tax Office (ATO) operates this scheme.
Find out how to meet your obligations under the scheme (ATO).