Launch of SMaRT-Pack to drive Australia’s sustainable packaging future
A new Australian Research Council (ARC) Industrial Transformation Training Centre, SMaRT-Pack (Sustainable Materials and Responsible Technologies for Packaging), has been launched to help accelerate the transition to a circular and sustainable packaging economy in Australia.
Monash University Vice-Chancellor Professor Sharon Pickering along with Hon Andrew Giles MP, Senator Michelle Ananda-Rajah and Professor Gil Garnier at the launch event.
Led by Monash University in collaboration with Deakin University and Queensland University of Technology (QUT), the Centre brings together leading academic researchers, emerging scholars, and key industry partners to focus on replacing single-use plastics with recyclable and compostable fibre-based alternatives, while advancing the manufacturing, recycling, testing and policy frameworks needed to support their adoption. Its work will span the full packaging life cycle, from material development through to recyclability, degradation and end-of-life management.
Monash University Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Sharon Pickering, said the University was proud to be the home of SMaRT-Pack, one of four Monash awarded ARC Industrial Transformation Research Programs (ITRP) in 2025.
“SMaRT-Pack is a great example of the convening power of our universities – our power to mobilise research, research infrastructure, and industry to address societal and economic challenges,” Professor Pickering said.
“SMaRT-Pack is an opportunity to tangibly and visibly demonstrate to the community that progress on sustainability is not just possible but is readily achievable. Each win in sustainability creates a cascading effect, driving further ambitions and building community support.”
Acting CEO of the Australian Research Council, Mr Anthony Murfett, said SMaRT-Pack is part of the ARC's Industrial Transformation Research Program (ITRP), which supports collaboration between universities and industry to deliver sustainable solutions, and create pathways to economic and social transformation.
“The ARC’s funding to SMaRT-Pack through the ITRP Scheme will cultivate the next generation of industry-focused researchers and strengthen Australia's research capability,” Mr Murfett said.
Centre Director Professor Gil Garnier, of Monash University, said the Centre represents a new model for collaboration between research and industry.
“Through strong industry partnerships spanning forestry, fibre processing, recycling, coatings, biomaterials and manufacturing, SMaRT-Pack will accelerate the pathway from research to commercial application while supporting new jobs, regional opportunities and a more sustainable future for Australian packaging,” said Professor Garnier.
“This is only possible by uniting industry partners, academic researchers, and industry associations in authentic cooperation, and will provide transformational outcomes to this sector, reducing reliance on single-use plastics and the challenges they provide. This is a win for business, research training, consumers, and the environment.
“By bringing together industry partners, academic researchers and industry associations, we can take cutting-edge research from the laboratory to pilot production and ultimately commercial scale. These collaborations have the potential to deliver transformational outcomes for the packaging sector while reducing reliance on single-use plastics.”
SMaRT-Pack delivers an end-to-end approach to packaging innovation. Beyond developing new materials and manufacturing processes, the Centre is establishing rigorous test methods, clear standards, measurement protocols, and policy recommendations to evaluate functional performance, recyclability, degradation, CO₂ impact, and energy intensity across full life cycles.
By uniting academic rigour with commercial application and international collaborations, SMaRT-Pack will safeguard Australia’s sovereign capabilities while building a sustainable, resilient workforce for the nation's future.
The launch took place at Monash University, Clayton campus on Tuesday 6 October, with the official opening being led by Minister for Skills and Training, Hon Andrew Giles MP, and Senator Michelle Ananda-Rajah.