Labor ditches new packaging laws to cut plastic waste, sparking unprecedented ‘scale and breadth of outrage’

Federal environment department tells industry representatives the government does not want to ‘exacerbate cost of living pressures’

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The Albanese government has been accused of breaking a promise after it shelved a longstanding commitment to bring in packaging standards intended to force manufacturers and retailers to cut plastic waste.

The federal environment department told industry representatives via email last week that the promise would not be kept before the next election because the government did not want to “exacerbate cost of living pressures”.