SME ARL program and ARL Marketplace update

As you may already be aware the AIP is a part of the SME ARL Program which is a new initiative to help more SMEs adopt the ARL on their packaging. The campaign is funded by the Australian Government and being delivered in partnership with the Australian Institute of Packaging, the Australian Food and Grocery Council, the National Retail Association and APCO.

The ARL Marketplace currently features a range of free educational tools, videos, factsheets, animations, and other resources including learning modules developed by the AIP. These tools provide SMEs with all the information they need to build more sustainable practices in their business. We would encourage you to register on the portal to be able to access the available resources and also share these details with your own customers.

When you register on the portal to access the resources please tick AIP from the drop down boxes as where you heard about the platform.

The opportunity for packaging manufacturers

The ARL Marketplace will be a new way for packaging manufacturers to: Reach more SME customers and provide a new value-add for you existing SME customer base. Be recognised in campaign marketing and communications as an accredited supplier of packaging that's ready to label with Australia's most robust recyclability labelling program, the ARL.

Simplify the PREP assessment experience with new streamlined product groupings.

Program activity and timings

home to a range of sustainable packaging tools and resources to help your SME customers understand the value of sustainable packaging, including:

• Free training modules from the Australian Institute of Packaging, Australia’s peak professional body for packaging training and education.

• The Packaging Impact Calculator to help SMEs start to understand the environmental impacts of packaging design decisions.

• A range of informative fact sheets, animations and resource toolkits.

Please share this information with your own customers. Please ask them when they register their interest on the portal to please tick AIP as where they heard about the platform.

ARL Marketplace vendor program to be launched in 2023

In addition to what is already available on the marketplace a new packaging platform will be launched in May to help bring SME’s and suppliers together. The purpose of the vendor program is to provide a simple sourcing solution that connects small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with packaging formats that are ready to label with the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL). The packaging made available on the platform will be listed from a community of accredited packaging vendors.

February 2023: Throughout February, a pilot project will be conducted with a sample of representative manufacturers and labellers to test the platform technology and user experience for vendors and SMEs.

• April 2023: Applications will open to all Australian packaging manufacturers and labellers to start the vendor accreditation process. More in-depth information about the accreditation process will be available in early 2023.

• May 2023: Sourcing functionality goes live.

Expression of interest for the ARL Marketplace vendor program

The SME ARL Program is inviting Expressions of Interest (EOI) from Australian packaging manufacturers distributors, wholesalers and labellers to become accredited vendors on the ARL Marketplace.

Invitations to become an accredited vendor will open in April 2023.

Businesses are invited to register their interest now to receive updates about the ARL Marketplace development process and a reminder when applications are open.

To register your interest in becoming an accredited vendor, please complete the expression of interest form. If you would like to talk to someone about how your business can be involved, please click on the 'request a call back' option and a member of our partnership will contact you.

Click here for link to Expression of Interest Form