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.

When Tasmania introduces its Container Deposit Scheme in 2025, we will have achieved our aim was make Australia the first continent on the planet to adopt Cash for Containers. Starting with South Australia in 1977, and followed by the Northern Territory, NSW, ACT, QLD, WA, Vic and Tas. 

We know that a Cash for Containers scheme slashes litter rates; increases beverage container recycling and jobs; and provides opportunities for community-based fundraising.

South Australia is routinely regarded as the least littered state. The CSIRO estimated that beverage litter (as a result of the scheme) was about a third of other states, In NSW since the introduction of the container scheme in 2017, over 14.6 billion containers have been collected and container litter has reduced by 54%. In QLD, over 8 billion containers have been collected since 2018 and litter has reduced by 35%. Hundreds of jobs have been created in each state.

OUR GOALS

• Wine and spirits glass bottles should be eligible containers in all states
  
  
• Increase the deposit-refund to 20c to achieve return rates of 90%; more jobs and charity income [Briefing Note here]
  
  
• Promotion of recycled content in all beverage containers
  
  
• Trial reusables

• Review the operations in all states

BACKGROUND

A Long Campaign

This problem really began in the 1970s when beverage companies like Coca Cola introduced the 'disposable' drink container, ending the returnable bottle system which had put a refundable deposit on each bottle – known as a Container Deposit Scheme (CDS). As these 'disposable' containers flooded the market, the litter plague quickly overwhelmed parks, waterways and public spaces. The community called for the return of the ‘bottle deposit’ but governments and industry instead blamed the consumer for discarding single-use containers, and they funded anti-litter campaigns instead and shifted the cleanup costs to councils and ratepayers.

Nevertheless, local councils and communities across Australia continued to fight with catch cries including ‘Bring Back the Deposit’ and 'We Want Cash for Containers'.

What is a Container Deposit Scheme?

Container Deposit Schemes (also known as Cash for Containers, Container Deposit Legislation or Container Refund Schemes) involve the addition of a small, refundable deposit being added to the price of a beverage at the point of sale. Once the beverage has been drunk and the container is empty, consumers and collectors can then return the container to a collection point, where they receive a refund of the deposit. It aims to reduce the amount of beverage container litter and increase the amount of recycling by using a financial incentive (10c in Australia).

Despite what some naysayers might want you to believe, a Container Deposit is NOT a 'tax'. The government does not get the money and the entire deposit is refunded when the consumer returns the container to a collection point for recycling.  

What are the benefits of a Container Deposit Scheme?

Container Deposit Schemes have environmental and social benefits. These include:

Except for Qld, currently wine and spirits are not included in the CDSs - we are lobbying for their inclusion.

Learn More About Cash for Containers Around Australia

ACT     NSW     NT     SA     TAS     QLD     VIC     WA 

>> See all our resources on Cash for Containers

A Brief Campaign History

Over the last 16 years, tens of thousands of people have helped our Cash for Containers campaign with letters to and meetings with MPs, signing petitions, media events and actions, community stalls and clean-ups; and we have lobbied governments; countered industry misinformation; and developed a best practice Container Deposit Scheme.

2004 – 05: National Packaging Covenant (NPC) is renewed. It was the weak industry alternative to regulation like a CDS. We fight for targets and succeed – but the NPC was never going to work. Ministers warned a CDS could be around the corner.

2008: WA election. The then ALP Government promises a CDS after a positive taskforce inquiry, but delays a commitment. However, they were voted out. The drinks industry runs an effective insiders and public campaign, threatening marginal seats.

Mid-2010: Environment ministers meet in Darwin under federal minister Peter Garrett and announce a national study… the first of three. Initially, it was into beverage containers including a CDS, but then got expanded to all litter – a common tactic to diminish the importance of container deposits.

February 2011: After a brave campaign by the local community – with our participation – the NT Parliament unanimously passes its CDS law.

January 2012: The NT CDS is implemented.

December 2012: Coca Cola, Lion and Schweppes challenges the NT law in the Federal Court (surely one of the most unpopular corporate actions in recent years).

February 2013: Queensland signs up to the National Bin Network – the industry’s latest alternative to a CDS – the day before environment ministers meet to discuss a national regulatory impact statement into options to deal with beverage and other litter. Despite this potentially fatal move by Queensland and the industry, the ministers still proceed to the formal review process of a broad range of options including a CDS.

March 2013: Coca Cola win in the Federal Court and cancel their participation in the scheme, hoping it will collapse. However, the NT Government financially backs the CDS by supplying redeemed deposits/handling fees as they seek to remedy the process flaw in the law and obtain mutual recognition from all the other states. Once achieved, there is a full restart in August 2013.

Mid-2013: Vic Premier Napthine endorses a national CDS and keeps pushing over the year – the possibility of joint NSW/Vic action emerges.

November 2014: As the Vic election gets close, Napthine loses courage, no doubt in the face of bad polls and industry threats to campaign on the (alleged) consumer cost of a CDS.  Also the Commonwealth government ignores calls for national scheme.

However, we don’t give up! We push on – now fully focussed on getting state-by-state adoption of CDS with the Commonwealth path now deemed fruitless.

January 2015: QLD election, an ALP minority government is elected and implements its policy to investigate a CDS. LNP Opposition gives bipartisan support in 2016.

February 2015: Premier Baird announces his election policy to implement a container deposit system by 1 July 2017. ALP Opposition give bipartisan support.

April 2016: The Senate Inquiry into Marine Plastic reports endorses our solutions including demanding all states have a CDS by 2020 – otherwise the federal government should do it for them.

May 2016: We win in NSW with the NSW Government announcing a full scale CDS covering plastic, glass, LPB (liquid paper-board) and metal drink containers.

June 2016: The QLD Government announces it will start a CDS in 2018, harmonising with NSW.

August 2016: WA Government announced it will implement a CDS.

September 2016: The ACT Government announces that the ACT CDS will commence early 2018.

February 2017: The NSW Government delays the NSW CDS from June 2017 to December 2017.

September 2017: QLD Parliament unanimously passes the Waste Reduction and Recycling Amendment Bill, legislating a Container Refund Scheme (CRS) to be introduced into QLD (it starts November 2018). The bill also contained a best practise plastic bag ban (starts July 2018).

December 2017: The NSW CDS, ‘Return and Earn’, begins.

November 2018: The QLD CRS, ‘Containers for Change', begins.

December 2018: The NSW CDS reaches its first birthday and a milestone of 1 billion containers redeemed. Boomerang Alliance releases its report into the first year of operations, which can be downloaded by clicking HERE. 

March 2019: The WA legislation passes parliament with the CDS to start in early 2020.

June 2019: Tasmania announces it will have a CDS by 2022.

February 2020: Victoria announces it will have a CDS by 2023.  Legislation is passed in 2021.

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

March 2022: Tasmanian Parliament passed its Container Refund Law and is planning to introduce the scheme in 2023. A last ditch effort by Coke to amend the Bill and stymie recycling and litter gains was successfully opposed.

2022: The Victorian and Tasmanian governments issued EOIs for the Scheme Coordinator and Network Operator which will then lead to a call for formal tenders. Vic operations begin on 1 November 2023.