At a March 2 National Plastics Summit convened by Australia's government, many companies made pledges to reduce single-use plastics. An industry pact said it would announce details later this year on plans to help increase the plastic packaging recycling rate from 16 percent to 70 percent by 2025.

A small Australian company has received approval for the nation's first certified trademark for oxo-biodegradable plastic products.

Coca-Cola Australia's parent company, Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd. says it will use 70 percent recycled plastic in all bottles by the end of the year.

The small southeast Asian nation of East Timor wants to be the world's first plastic-neutral nation by recycling all its waste plastic.

The Australian Marine Conservation Society has asked all political parties to commit to an Australia-wide ban on single-use plastics by 2023 and a target to cut the amount of plastic entering waterways and oceans by 70 percent, as soon as possible.

A billionaire Australian businessman and renowned philanthropist wants to tax virgin resins to stop the "escalating tide of plastic waste."

The study said seabirds may select balloons when foraging because of their resemblance to prey, especially squid.

Carlton && United Breweries said 25 million six-pack rings will no longer "enter the environment each year." CUB is replacing the rings with cardboard packaging.

Two companies — one in North America, one in Australia — have combined forces to develop a bioplastic clean room mat.

A Unilever spokesman said Unilever Australasia, an arm of London-based Unilever plc, has started piloting and testing new packaging that includes recycled plastic and aims to have the bottles on shelves early in 2019.

Unable to find a buyer for its ailing Australian subsidiary, cast film manufacturer Stellar Films Group Pty. Ltd., bioplastics developer Secos Group Ltd. has called in liquidators to wind up the business.

Bioplastics manufacturer Secos Group Ltd. will move its cast film manufacturing to Malaysia from Melbourne, Australia.

A study commissioned by Australia's largest rigid plastic packaging manufacturer has found the vast majority of those surveyed are concerned about excess packaging, but fewer than half will pay more for "environmentally friendly" packaging.

The Australian federal government has launched national packaging targets to reduce the amount of waste, including plastics, going to landfills.

Consuming more than 14 pieces of waste plastic is 50 percent more likely to kill a sea turtle than other ways they die, new research has found.