Today the NSW Container Deposit Legislation is being debated in the Parliament upper house – the final stage before it becomes law. In his speech, NSW Environment Minister Mark Speakman proudly announced the government is on track to deliver a ‘cost-effective, best practice container deposit scheme' in accordance with Premier Baird’s promise - but it’s not.

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We are very excited by the announcement by the Queensland LNP that it would implement a 10cent refund system for drink bottles and cans. It is a great World Environment Day news!

Today is a great day! The NSW government has just announced that it will proceed with a genuine container deposit system (CDS). This is an historic win for the community!

Late last month the Australian Senate released its report “Toxic Tide” investigating the impacts of plastic on the Australian marine environment. In a wide sweeping series of recommendations, the Senators called for all states and territories to adopt container deposit systems (CDS) by 2020.

On Saturday April 25th, the Queensland Cash for Containers team joined forces with Scouts Queensland and took to the beaches to create a statement the local media could not ignore. Using over 2000 cans and bottles largely collected from Gold Coast beaches, parks and waterways, we created the world’s largest surfboard sculpture made from recycled litter. Measuring 13.3m long and 3.5m wide, the attempt was made on the Gold Coast and will be submitted for a new record on recordsetter.com.

Update April 2022:

In March 2022 the Tasmanian Parliament passed its Container Refund law. A last ditch effort by Coke to amend the Bill and stymie recycling and litter gains was successfully opposed. In April the government issued an EOI for the Scheme Coordinator and Network Operator. Operation will begin in 2023.

For more information on the Tasmanian Government plans: https://nre.tas.gov.au/environmental-management/container-refund-scheme

BACKGROUND:

Despite Tasmania’s pride in its pristine environment and relatively untouched wilderness areas, it was one of only two states in Australia in 2018 that had not committed to implementing a Container Deposit Scheme to reduce the amount of container litter escaping into the environment.

There was a growing problem with beverage containers in Tasmania, borne out by Clean Up Australia’s 2018 Rubbish Report. The report showed that beverage containers and ‘beverage rubbish’ made up 48.2% of the total litter surveyed in the 2018 Tasmanian count. And what’s more, containers and ‘beverage rubbish’, as a proportion of all rubbish reported, increased by more than 30% on 2017 figures. (View Clean Up Australia’s 2018 Tasmania snapshot report)

After nearly 15 years of contemplating a CDS, the Tasmanian Government funded yet another study in 2018, into the viability and format of a state-based scheme. Then in June 2019 the government announced a CDS will start by 2022.

In 2021 Tasmanian ALP were lobbied by TasRecycle lobby group (which was established and funded by Coke and Lion) and they call for an Upper House Enquiry in the Container Refund Bill. BA called this a monumental waste of time and lobbied against it into early 2022.

ACTION:

The next phase is to get the best possible scheme. Now you are getting a Container Deposit Scheme in Tasmania, contact the Environment Minister, Elise Archer and let her know you want the best system possible.

Below is an example letter that you can send to the Environment Minister for Tasmania.

The Hon Elise Archer MP
Minister for the Environment and Parks

Level 10, 15 Murray Street
HOBART TAS 7000

[email protected]

Date:

Dear Minister,

I support your decision to introduce a 10c refundable deposit on bottles and cans to clean up litter and increase recycling in Tasmania. I am glad the Tasmanian Government has moved forward, passed the Container Refund Bill and not given in to industry pressure which would have caused delays and created an inferior system.

I support a modern, efficient, convenient and low-cost container deposit system. The social and economic benefits include more jobs in local resource recovery and a new source of income for charities. The environmental benefits are enormous with less plastic and other pollution in our waterways, parks and roadsides.

The best way is for the scheme operators to have clear commitments to maximise recycling and consumer convenience.  A scheme run by the beverage industry will be influenced by their focus on industry profits (for example keeping a large amount of unredeemed refunds) and lead to an inferior program.

I call on you to introduce a best practice 10c refundable deposit on bottles and cans in TASMANIA – to reduce the litter and increase the recycling of beverage containers.

Yours sincerely,

Sign

Print Name:
Address (including postcode):

To print this letter, click here.

This page was last updated on 19 April 2022

The Hon Albert Jacob

Minister for the Environment

12th Floor Dumas House
2 Havelock Street
West Perth WA 6005

[email protected] 

Date:

Dear Minister,

I want to thank you for announcing your government's intention to introduce a 10c refundable deposit on bottles and cans (17/8/16) to clean up litter and increase recycling, in Western Australia. This is fantastic news and Newspoll results (Oct 2013) show that I am not alone in celebrating this announcement – 90% of West Australians agree that we need Cash for Containers.

As you know container deposits have operated successfully in South Australia for nearly 40 years and they are effective in over 40 places around the world. Cash for Containers has led to a significant increase in recycling rates in the Northern Territory in its first three years. 

The NSW Government has recently announced that they will introduce Cash for Containers – beginning in July 2017 – and Queensland is also investigating a similar scheme. I am so glad to hear that Western Australia will join with South Australia and NT to create a harmonised Container Deposit System across more than half of Australia - due around mid 2018.

When the detailed planning begins for the WA scheme please be aware that there is widespread community support for a modern, efficient, convenient and low-cost container deposit system. The social and economic benefits include more jobs in local resource recovery and a new source of income for charities. The environmental benefits are enormous with less plastic and other pollution in our waterways, parks and roadsides.

Local councils in the city and country can also benefit from Cash for Containers.

I commend you for announcing that you intend to introduce a 10c refundable deposit on bottles and cans in WESTERN AUSTRALIA – to reduce the litter and increase the recycling of beverage containers - and look forward to hearing further details.

Your sincerely,

Sign

Print Name

Address (including postcode)

To print this letter, click here.

The Queensland Government has now established two Advisory Committees to assist in the development of a cash for containers scheme and possible plastic packaging bans. I have been appointed on to both committees. We expect that the State Government will be asking the public what they think about these measures, within the next six months.

The Boomerang Alliance has disclosed  a leaked excerpt of an internal report to the Australian Packaging Covenant (APC) showing misleading plastic packaging recycling rates. The APC is an industry sponsored initiative which has been used by the beverage industry to counteract the push for cash for containers.