Container Deposit Schemes: Where to from here?

Australia is on the cusp of being the only continent to be fully covered by drink container refund schemes. A session at Waste 2023  in Coffs Harbour looked at the evolution of the nation’s container deposit scheme landscape.

South Australia has led the way in Australia with a Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) operating since 1977.

It took 35 years before other states began to follow suit, with the Northern Territory introducing a scheme in 2012. Over the decades other states have adopted their own refund schemes, offering a cash incentive for people to return used drink containers to be recycled. 

With the rollout of Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme in November 2023 (TOMRA Cleanaway installed the first collection point this month), and Tasmania’s version taking shape, Australia is on the cusp of being the only continent to be fully covered. 

Alex Young, Director of the Container Deposit Scheme at the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA), said while the objective of the NSW scheme when it was introduced in 2017 was to reduce litter, it was also about recycling and encouraging users to keep coming back.