WA moulded expanded-plastic packaging rules are in force See what they mean for your range
PACKAGING COMPLIANCE · SUPPLY CHAIN

Keep products protected.
Keep your business compliant.

WA packaging advice for every product category and country of origin when goods are shipped into Western Australia—grounded in your product, its evidence and your supply chain.

✓ Any product. Any origin. Entering Western Australia.
100%Product range WA
exemption secured*
3–20%Factory SKU cost
reductions achieved*
7+ yearsOperations & regulatory
experience
*Selected client outcomes. Every product and outcome is assessed individually.
THE COMPLIANCE TRAP

One packaging decision.
A chain of expensive consequences.

For importers, the wrong call can mean avoidable re-tooling, damaged stock or missed compliance obligations. Start with the regulation—and the actual product evidence.

IN FORCE · 01 JUL 2025

Moulded expanded plastic packaging is banned in WA, with defined exclusions and exemptions.

The rule covers moulded or cut packaging made from EPS, EPE, EPP and EVA for products manufactured on or after 1 March 2025.

EPSEPEEPPEVA
WA Government scope & exclusions ↗
01

The costly default

Replace the foam with pulp or another material before checking the product’s regulatory position, performance needs and total landed cost.

02

The hidden risk

Under-protect a fragile product, increase breakage in transit, or change packaging without the manufacturer’s documented standard and evidence.

03

The evidence-led route

Map each SKU against Regulation 17F, the DWER guidance and relevant evidence. Some products are outside the ban; other cases may need a formal exemption.

§Regulation 17F is a decision framework, not a blanket pass.Fragility, product weight, packaging form and supply chain all matter. Confirm the applicable pathway for each SKU.
FIRST-PASS SKU SCREEN

Does your product
qualify for an exclusion?

Select all that apply to see the next evidence step. This interactive screen is a starting point; it is not a legal determination or a DWER decision.

Read DWER’s expanded packaging guidance ↗
01 / 04
INITIAL SCREENING
REGULATION 17F · SCREENING TOOL

Product & packaging profile

0 selected
i
Choose the criteria that fit.

We’ll suggest the records to gather before an adviser reviews your SKU.

Review my SKU with an adviser ↗

Regulatory fit depends on the exact product, packaging and transaction. Confirm current requirements with DWER or qualified legal counsel.

TWO PRACTICAL PATHS

Compliance clarity.
Commercially workable next steps.

We start with the SKU and determine which path is appropriate: document a valid exclusion or exemption, or engineer a compliant alternative that works through the supply chain.

01PRIMARY SERVICE

Statutory pathway &
evidence dossiers

Turn a product’s protection requirements and supply chain facts into a defensible, well-organised record.

  • SKU classification and pathway mapping
  • Factory drop-test and performance records
  • Carton labelling and traceable specifications
  • DWER submissions where a formal exemption applies
02SUPPLY-CHAIN SERVICE

Factory-direct alternatives &
landed-cost optimisation

When an exclusion does not fit, transition the packaging without losing sight of protection, freight or unit economics.

  • Moulded fibre and honeycomb sourcing
  • Cubic container yield and freight modelling
  • Worldwide factory negotiation and supplier coordination
  • Supplier quality checks, with on-site visits by arrangement
↳ If a product falls outside an exclusion, we’ll identify it early and work on a compliant alternative with your factory.
THE NATIONAL WAVE

One WA rule.
A wider reform horizon.

National packaging policy is evolving. Build a data-ready packaging baseline now, while tracking which proposals become firm obligations.

NOW · WA

Expanded-plastic ban in force

WA’s moulded expanded-plastic packaging ban commenced 1 July 2025. SKU scope, exclusions and evidence remain product-specific.

CURRENT REQUIREMENT
FY 2026–27 · NATIONAL

Packaging reform under development

Commonwealth, state and territory governments continue work on national packaging reform. DCCEEW says current arrangements remain in place while options are explored; proposed framework use is not yet decided.

MONITOR POLICY
2026–28 · INDUSTRY & STATES

Standards, stewardship & state rules

APCO says its proposed EPR fee model was not introduced in FY2026–27; current FY27 fees remain turnover-based. National packaging reform remains under development, and state and territory single-use plastic rules differ.

PLAN WITH SCENARIOS
i

Timelines reflect public information available in October 2026 and are not legal advice. No national mandatory EPR start date is presented as enacted. See DCCEEW’s current reform update ↗

Michael Gerace, Principal Consultant
PRINCIPAL CONSULTANTMICHAEL GERACE
PA—01
COMMERCIAL EXPERIENCE, REGULATORY FOCUS

Advice shaped by
how importers operate.

Michael Gerace works at the intersection of packaging compliance, retail operations and overseas manufacturing.

His experience includes securing WA exemption outcomes across a major national importer’s product range, managing six national retail accounts against a 45% margin target, and inspecting supplier factories across Vietnam and India. This is experience, not a limit on the countries of origin or product categories we advise on.

The work is direct and SKU-specific: understand the product, gather the right evidence, then make the practical call with the importer and factory.

✓National retail account operations
✓Factory negotiations across international markets
✓Packaging performance & landed-cost review
info@plasticsadvisory.com.au ↗
Experience and outcomes described are based on consultant-provided information; client names are withheld.
REFERENCE LIBRARY

Start with the
primary sources.

Rules and guidance can change. These official references are a useful starting point for a product-specific review.

START WITH YOUR SKU

Get a clear view
before you change
the packaging.

Send a product range, packaging photo or one difficult SKU. We’ll arrange a 15-minute first conversation and outline the next useful step.

info@plasticsadvisory.com.au ↗
ANY PRODUCT · ANY COUNTRY OF ORIGINDESTINATION: WESTERN AUSTRALIA
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