Australian Recycling Facilities Standard (ARFS)
ACOR is partnering with Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) to develop and establish the Australian Recycling Facilities Standard (ARFS), a new national certification scheme for recycling facilities.
ARFS is being designed to raise the bar for Australia’s recycling industry and strengthen confidence in the quality, integrity and transparency of recycled materials.
Purpose
The standard will provide a clear, independent benchmark for recycling facility performance. It will help governments, businesses and procurement teams identify operators that meet robust environmental, quality, health, safety and operational requirements.
ARFS is intended to:
- Improve transparency and accountability across the recycling sector
- Create a consistent national benchmark for facility performance
- Distinguish genuine recycling from poor practice
- Support stronger markets for high-quality Australian recycled materials
- Encourage continuous improvement beyond minimum regulatory compliance
Partnership model
Under the partnership:
- ACOR is leading the strategic development of the standard, drawing on deep industry expertise to define best practice requirements and ensure the criteria reflect real-world recycling operations.
- GECA will administer the certification scheme under its ISO 14024-compliant framework, including independent third-party assessment and verification.
This model combines industry leadership with independent assurance.
Scope
The standard will assess recycling facilities against criteria spanning:
- Quality control and material traceability
- Environmental management and performance
- Health and safety systems
- Operational management and risk controls
- Compliance with relevant regulatory requirements
Building on Prior Work: Australian Recyclers Accreditation Program
The development of ARFS builds on earlier work by ACOR to scope and advance a national accreditation program for recycling operations—an Australian Recyclers Accreditation Program (ARAP). ARAP was designed to provide a framework for consistent, independent assessment of recycling facilities on a site-by-site basis, evaluating operational performance and risk management. It was tested and evaluated with industry and provides an existing foundation for establishing national standards and oversight across Australian recycling operations.
Next steps
Stakeholder consultation is planned for early 2026, followed by phased implementation, subject to finalisation of the standard and governance arrangements.
