Understanding the Design for Kerbside Recyclability Framework

The Design for Kerbside Recyclability Framework is a major piece of Australia’s packaging-reform puzzle. It’s designed to help businesses understand how well packaging will perform in our kerbside recycling systems—then push design and material decisions toward higher recyclability. For packaging, industrial & safety, logistics and 3PL businesses such as Carewell Group, it brings design and lifecycle considerations into sharper focus.

What is the Framework?

In 2024, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) established an independent National Design Standard Working Group to develop a “Design for Kerbside Recyclability Grading Framework”. DCCEEW+2aipack.com.au+2
The Framework provides a grading system (A-G) for packaging materials based on how well they align with kerbside collection, sorting, recycling/reprocessing and end-market demand. Parliament of Australia+2wmrr.asn.au+2
It is currently guidance—not yet a mandatory regulation—but it signals the direction of packaging design reform. DCCEEW+1

Why it matters

Here are key reasons this framework is important for your business and the packaging value-chain:

• It gives a clearer measure of how “recyclable” packaging actually is — not just in theory, but in practice, through the kerbside system (collection, sorting, re-processing).
• It sends a signal that design decisions (material choice, structure, ease of separation) will matter more in future regulation and perhaps costs.
• It can help you prioritise packaging formats for redesign or innovation (which trays, mailers, wraps, bags are lower grade; which are higher).
• From a strategic viewpoint, being prepared means you stay ahead — vs being reactive when regulation lands.

How the grading works – at a high level

While the full detailed charts are complex, the Framework evaluates packaging by major common material types (rigid plastics, flexible plastics, fibre, glass, metal) and applies criteria such as:

• Collection access — Whether the material is widely collected via kerbside systems. aipack.com.au+1
• Sortation compatibility — Whether existing sorting technologies can process that material effectively. documents.packagingcovenant.org.au
• Re-processing & end markets — Whether the material is recycled or has viable end-market demand. wmrr.asn.au
  Packaging that fails on one or more of these may receive a lower‐grade (e.g., E-G) in the framework, signalling higher risk or redesign need. wmrr.asn.au

What this means for Carewell Group and your clients

As a business engaged in packaging supply, industrial & safety, logistics and 3PL-services, here are how the implications play out:

• Design review becomes vital: When selecting trays, mailers, poly-bags, wraps and tape, assessing how they will grade becomes part of your design/procurement process.
• Material choices matter: Mono-materials, minimal additives/laminates, simpler structures will likely grade higher and perform better in kerbside systems.
• Lifecycle view is needed: Logistics, storage, reuse, return flows — your 3PL and logistics services can be part of the story of “this packaging is designed for recovery”.
• Client value proposition improves: By demonstrating you supply packaging aligned with the Framework, you help clients manage risk, improve sustainability and future-proof their supply chain.
• Prepare for cost/fee implications: Lower-grade packaging may in future face costs (eco-modulated fees) or redesign costs. Being ahead gives you choice.

Practical steps you and your clients can take now

Here are actionable steps to make the Framework part of your operating and advisory model:

1. Audit packaging formats – Map your portfolio: materials, combinations, reuse potential, recovery pathway.
2. Grade against the Framework – Use available charts and guidance to estimate where each format might land (A-G).
3. Prioritise redesign – Focus on formats with lower grades that carry higher risk. Redesign for better materials, simpler structure, recovery-friendly design.
4. Engage suppliers early – Ask about recycled content, recyclability credentials, material separation, labelling.
5. Embed this logic internally – Make packaging design review part of procurement, product-design, logistics/distribution decisions.
6. Communicate with clients – Use this as a value add: “We grade what packaging you use, we help you move higher.”
7. Track metrics and improvements – Over time, measure shifts in grade, improved materials, reduced waste, improved recovery performance.

Caveats & what to watch out for

• The Framework is not yet mandatory — meaning it is currently guidance. But the signal is strong that regulation may evolve. DCCEEW+1
• Grades are based on current infrastructure (collection, sorting, end markets) which may vary by region. What is “good” in one region may differ in another.
• Some packaging formats may improve grade only when collection/recovery infrastructure improves — e.g., certain flexible plastics. documents.packagingcovenant.org.au
• The framework focuses on recyclability via kerbside; it is not the only measure of sustainability (reuse, biodegradability, circularity also matter).

Why this is a strategic opportunity

Rather than seeing this as another compliance box, you can frame it as:

• A differentiator: Packaging designs graded high send strong sustainability signals.
• A cost avoidance tool**: Lower-grade packaging may carry future redesign or fee burden; acting early gives control.
• A business service offering: You (Carewell Group) can help clients assess and improve their packaging grade — advisory as much as supply.
• A brand alignment: Your mission around innovation and environment gets concretised in measurable packaging grade performance.

Final thoughts

The Design for Kerbside Recyclability Framework is a clear signal that packaging design is heading toward greater accountability. For businesses working in packaging, industrial & safety, logistics and 3PL, this is not just a regulatory detail — it’s a call to action.
Start now: audit your packaging, engage with design/materials, embed the grade logic into your processes, communicate with clients.
By doing this, you shift from reacting to regulation to leading the market.
If you like, I can pull together a tailored checklist for packaging-grade assessment (specific to trays, mailers, wraps, tapes) you can use internally or share with clients.