Tobacco plain packaging - your guide

This booklet can be used as a guide to help you identify some of the key plain packaging requirements.

Page last updated: 26 April 2018

Image showing Tobacco Plain Packaging Your Guide

Purpose of the booklet

This booklet can be used as a guide to help you identify some of the key plain packaging requirements.

The illustrations in this booklet are a visual guide of what plain packaging and the new health warnings may look like for different tobacco products and packaging formats.

This booklet also contains a list of key points for suppliers, which may assist you to identify whether tobacco products you buy, sell, offer for sale or otherwise supply meet the plain packaging requirements.

From 1 December 2012, all tobacco products sold, offered for sale or otherwise supplied in Australia must be in plain packaging and be labelled with the new and expanded health warnings.

This booklet has been provided by the Australian Government as a guide only.

Contents

Cigarette
Cigar
Cigarette Pack
Cigarette Carton
Loose Leaf Tobacco Pouch
Cigar Tube
Cigar Box
Small Cigar Tin
Loose Leaf Tobacco Tin
Key Points for Retailers and Other Suppliers of Tobacco Products
More Information
Copyright notice
Disclaimer

Cigarette



Image of Cigarette showing Filter Tip, Paper over Filter Tip, Alphanumeric Code, Paper casingText version of image

Cigar



Image of Cigar showing Cigar band, Brand and Variant name, Country of manufacture and Alphanumeric CodeText version of image

Note:
If a plain packaged cigar band covers a non-compliant band or bands:
  • it must completely cover the non-compliant band(s), and
  • it must be fastened firmly to, and not easily removable from, the non-compliant band(s)

Cigarette pack – front



Image of Cigarette pack - front,top and side showing plain packaging requirementsText version of image

Cigarette pack – back



Image of Cigarette pack - back, bottom and side showing plain packaging requirementsText version of image

Cigarette carton – front



Image of Cigarette carton - front, top and side showing plain packaging requirementsText version of image

Cigarette carton – back


Image of Cigarette carton - back, bottom and side showing plain packaging requirementsText version of image

Loose leaf tobacco pouch – front



Image of Loose leaf tobacco pouch - front, top and side showing plain packaging requirementsText version of image

Loose leaf tobacco pouch – back


Image of Loose leaf tobacco pouch - back, bottom and side showing plain packaging requirementsText version of image

Cigar tube – front



Image of Cigar tube - front and top showing plain packaging requirementsText version of image

Cigar tube – back


Image of Cigar tube - back and end showing plain packaging requirementsText version of image

Cigar box – front


Image of Cigar box - front, top and side showing plain packaging requirementsText version of image

Cigar box – back


Image of Cigar box - back, bottom and side showing plain packaging requirementsText version of image

Small cigar tin – front


Image of Small Cigar tin - front, top and side showing plain packaging requirementsText version of image

Small cigar tin – back


Image of Small Cigar tin - back, bottom and side showing plain packaging requirementsText version of image

Loose leaf tobacco tin – front


Image of Loose leaf Tobacco tin - front, top and side showing plain packaging requirementsText version of image

Loose leaf tobacco tin – back


Image of Loose leaf tobacco tin - back, bottom and side showing plain packaging requirementsText version of image

Key points for retailers and other suppliers of tobacco products

Physical requirements
Colour requirements
Marking requirements
Plastic wrapper requirements
Cigarette packs only – additional requirements
Cigarette cartons only – additional requirements
Non-cigarette tobacco product packaging only – additional requirements
Cigar tube only– additional requirements
Cigarette
Cigar

All retail packaging

Physical requirements:

  • Packaging size is larger than the minimum dimensions (note: different dimensions apply to cigarette packs and cigar tubes – see below)
  • Packaging is free from embellishments of any sort

Colour requirements:

  • Outer surfaces of packaging are Pantone 448C – a drab dark brown (except for the health warnings and other permitted markings on the packaging)
  • Inner surfaces of packaging are white or the colour of the packaging material in its natural state (note: different requirements apply to cigarette packs and cartons – see below)

Marking requirements:

  • Packaging is free from any markings other than the permitted markings. Permitted markings include:
    • Brand and variant name
    • Fire risk statements
    • Statements of measurement (e.g. the pack size or volume)
    • Name and address
    • Country of origin
    • Origin marks (alphanumeric codes and covert marks)
    • A bar code
    • A consumer contact telephone number
    • Calibration marks
  • Permitted markings on the packaging meet the specifications on content and number of markings,colour, font, size and position.

Plastic wrapper requirements:

  • Wrapper is transparent and not coloured, and without embellishments
  • Wrapper only displays permitted markings that meet the specifications on number of markings, colour, font, size and position
  • Any tear strip on the wrapper meets the requirements as to colour, size and position

Cigarette packs only – additional requirements

Additional physical requirements:

  • Pack is made of rigid cardboard, with the only opening being a flip top lid hinged at the back
  • Pack is rectangular
  • Pack size falls within the minimum and maximum size restrictions
  • If the lining of the pack is embossed, the embossing meets the requirements

Additional colour requirements:

  • Inner surfaces of pack are white
  • Lining of pack is silver coloured foil with a white paper backing

Inserts and onserts:

  • The pack does not have anything inside it, other than the cigarettes (inserts)
  • The pack does not have anything attached to it (onserts)

Cigarette cartons only – additional requirements

Additional physical requirements:

  • Carton is made of rigid cardboard
  • Carton is rectangular

Additional colour requirements:

  • Inner surfaces of carton are white

Inserts and onserts:

  • The carton does not have anything inside it, other than the packs of cigarettes (inserts)
  • The carton does not have anything attached to it (onserts)

Non-cigarette tobacco product packaging only – additional requirements

Inserts and onserts:

  • The packaging does not have anything attached to it (onserts)
  • If there are any things inside the packaging, other than the tobacco products or compliant tobacco product retail packaging, (inserts), they are:
    • used to avoid damage to the product during transportation or storage; and
    • either white or the colour of the packaging material in its natural state
  • If there are any tabs for resealing primary packaging, they are either black, transparent and not coloured, or Pantone 448C.

Cigar tube only– additional requirements

Additional physical requirements:

  • Cigar tube is cylindrical and rigid (with or without tapered/rounded ends)
  • Diameter of the cigar tube is at least 15 mm

Cigarette

Colour requirements:

  • Cigarette paper is completely white, or white with an imitation cork tip
  • Filter (actual filter, not paper covering filter) of the cigarette is white

Marking requirements:

  • Cigarette is free from any markings, except an optional black alphanumeric code in the required font, size, and position

Cigar

Cigar band colour requirements:

  • Cigar band is Pantone 448C – a drab dark brown (except for the permitted markings on the band)

Cigar band marking requirements:

  • Only markings on the band are the brand and variant name, country of origin, an alphanumeric code and covert marks
  • Permitted markings on the band meet the specifications on number, colour, font, size and position

Cigar band physical requirements:

  • No more than one cigar band is visible on the cigar
  • If a plain packaged cigar band covers a non-compliant band or bands:
    • it completely covers the non-compliant band(s), and
    • it is fastened firmly to, and not easily removable from, the non-compliant band(s)
Note : This is a guide only. It does not list all of the plain packaging requirements, and it does not list any of the new health warning requirements.

For the complete plain packaging and new health warning requirements, you must refer to the legislation.

More information

You should seek your own independent advice if you are unsure of your obligations under the plain packaging or new health warnings legislation, or are having difficulty understanding the requirements.

Copyright notice

The content in this publication is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth.

Disclaimer

This booklet does not illustrate or itemise all of the plain packaging and new health warning requirements. The requirements not itemised or displayed in this booklet are not any less important or significant than those that are displayed or itemised.

All manufacturers, packagers and suppliers of tobacco products should ensure they understand all of the requirements in the Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011, the Tobacco Plain Packaging Regulations 2011 and the Competition and Consumer (Tobacco) Information Standard 2011.

Nothing in this booklet should be taken in any way to replace the provisions of the Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011, the Tobacco Plain Packaging Regulations 2011 or the Competition and Consumer (Tobacco) Information Standard 2011.
For the complete plain packaging and new health warning requirements, refer to the legislation.

Links are below:

Tobacco plain packaging:

Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011
Tobacco Plain Packaging Regulations 2011

New tobacco health warnings:

Competition and Consumer (Tobacco) Information Standard 2011

D0832 July 2012

This document is to be used as a guide only and should not be relied upon as a source of legal advice. It is not a complete summary of the plain packaging and new health warning requirements. You should obtain your own professional and legal advice in relation to implementation of the plain packaging and health warning requirements. All information in this publication is correct as at July 2012.


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