Australian Beverages Council

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Australian Beverages Council Sustainability Actions

Backed container deposit schemes

The council says it has been heavily involved in the development and rollout of container deposit schemes (CDS), which are programs that pay people back for returning drink containers. It describes CDS as a key way to improve collection, sorting, and recycling of beverage packaging. The council also says these schemes are funded by beverage manufacturers and suppliers, and that it has pushed for better recycling outcomes through this work.

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Joined APCO on packaging

The council says it is a signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), a national group that works on better packaging design and recovery. It also says its members use the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL), which helps people know how to sort packaging for recycling. The council presents this as part of a wider effort to reduce reliance on virgin materials, meaning new raw materials that have not been recycled before.

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Launched ESR30 training

The council created the Environmental Sustainability Roadmap to 2030, or ESR30, and an ESR30 Educational Program. This is a sector-specific training program with live virtual courses on ESG topics, which means environmental, social, and governance issues. The courses cover net-zero strategy, emissions reduction, energy and water efficiency, waste management, sustainable procurement, and packaging. The council says the program gives members tools, case studies, and practical steps they can use in their own operations.

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Pushed for recycling reform

The council says it advocates for better recycling rules at state and federal level and sits on national and international reference groups. It supports national harmonisation of kerbside recycling, which means making household recycling rules more consistent across Australia. It also backs the Kerbside Recycling Grading Framework and says this is needed to reduce confusion, contamination, and landfill. The council frames this as part of building a more circular economy, where materials are kept in use for longer.

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Promoted sugar reduction

The council says the industry’s voluntary Sugar Reduction Pledge has ended, and that participating beverage companies reduced sugar across their portfolios by more than 20% over the life of the pledge. This is a past industry action linked to public health, not a future target. The council also uses this example in wider industry communications about changing drink portfolios in response to health and policy pressure.

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