Putting circularity to work
2026 biennial Awards
The APCO Biennial Awards celebrate the organisations, partnerships and individuals delivering measurable progress towards a circular economy for packaging. As APCO’s flagship recognition program, the Awards showcase exceptional leadership, innovation and collaboration that drives Australia’s future of circular packaging, demonstrating real-world outcomes that make a positive impact.
Held alongside APCO’s first ever Sector Forum, the Awards recognise initiatives that have moved beyond ambition and are making demonstrable, system-wide impacts today
Across eight categories showcasing excellence in circular design, reuse systems and litter prevention through to recycling, recovery, data transparency, leadership and collaboration, APCO Award winners represent the people and organisations are shaping the future of packaging in Australia.
Australia’s packaging challenges cannot be solved by any single organisation. Achieving a circular economy requires coordinated action across the value chain, from packaging design and procurement through to recovery infrastructure, recycling markets and consumer engagement.
The APCO Biennial Awards provide a platform to recognise those organisations turning commitment into action and creating solutions that can be scaled, replicated and shared across industry. By celebrating best practice and elevating proven examples of success, the Awards help accelerate learning, inspire innovation and support broader sector transformation.
“Putting circularity to work” reflects the sector’s transition to a more accountable era, where circularity is no longer an aspirational goal – but an operational necessity.
The Sector Forum unpacks the theme of circularity, where we are now and where we are headed. It explores how major trends in the packaging sector, including rising performance expectations, evolving regulatory requirements and an increasing emphasis on accountability, influence the decisions businesses must make to put circularity into operation and translate intention into action.
This year’s Awards centres around the theme by recognising organisations already embedding circularity into decisions, systems and measurable outcomes, with the evidence to support performance, transparency and accountability in practice.
Australian businesses are operating in a changing market, with increasing expectations from customers, and stronger accountability across the value chain—packaging circularity is no longer aspirational, it’s an investment for future prosperity.
The APCO Biennial Awards and Sector Forum brings together industry, government and innovators to exchange ideas, confront challenges and recognise the organisations driving progress and building momentum towards a circular packaging future in Australia.
This year’s event will be held at the newly unveiled Powerhouse Parramatta, Australia’s first public institution with a 6-Star Green Star rating, with a commitment to net-zero operational emissions, 100% renewable electricity and climate-positive performance.
Located in the heart of Western Sydney, Powerhouse Parramatta has been designed with climate resilience, responsible material use and circular economy principles at its core, reflecting many of the values that underpin APCO’s vision for a more circular future.
As Australia moves towards greater accountability, stewardship and circularity, organisations are increasingly being called upon to demonstrate meaningful progress.
The Awards reflect this shift by recognising initiatives that deliver tangible environmental, economic and social outcomes rather than intent alone.
The APCO Biennial Awards are underpinned by APCO’s 2030 Strategy and commitment to driving a circular economy for packaging through collaboration, capability building, evidence-based action and industry leadership.
