Australia has entered a new regulatory era with the establishment of the National Environmental Protection Agency (National EPA), effective July 1, 2026. This represents the country's first independent environmental regulator with authority over environmental protection matters. The National EPA framework incorporates extended producer responsibility principles through waste levies mechanisms. These levies are designed as economic instruments to incentivize circular economy transition by placing responsibility on producers—those who design, manufacture, market, and profit from products—rather than solely on waste management at end-of-life. The waste levies framework recognizes that transitioning to a circular economy requires producer engagement upstream in the product lifecycle, establishing financial obligations for manufacturers and producers to support sustainable product design and waste management infrastructure.