SA container deposit scheme under review

The South Australian Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is seeking feedback on proposed changes to the state’s Container Deposit Scheme.

The Environment Protection (Beverage Container Deposit Scheme) Amendment Bill 2024 will be available for consultation until Friday 25 October 2024.

The proposed changes focus on modernisation and include the appointment of a not-for-profit scheme co-ordinator to administer the scheme.

The co-ordinator will have clear responsibilities and functions, including contract arrangements with participants, cost-setting, performance targets, customer service standards, auditing and reporting requirements.

As part of the amendments, the scheme co-ordinator’s board would have an independent chair and representatives from the beverage industry and existing container collection network, as well as members with expertise in recycled commodity markets.

The proposed reforms have been developed through ongoing consultation since a 2019 container deposit scheme review scoping paper.

In 2023-24, more than 663 million containers were recycled through the scheme, resulting in more than $66 million in refunds to the South Australian community.

Kathryn Bellette EPA’s Director of Policy, Assessment and Finance, said South Australia was the first in the nation to introduce a container deposit scheme and it remains a leader in the recovery, recycling and litter reduction of beverage containers with a current, overall return rate of 75 per cent in 2023-24.

“The governance of South Australia’s container deposit scheme has evolved over the past 47 years and needs to be modernised,” she said.

“Our scheme has gone from being the only one in Australia to being one of many, all with their own approvals, operating systems and beverage return methods.

“The proposed digital reforms and scheme management improvements lay the foundations for the South Australia scheme to be equipped to participate in the proposed single national approvals portal currently in development, as agreed to by Environment Ministers in 2021.”

Bellette said container deposit schemes are a great example of manufacturers and importers, retailers, collection point businesses and the community working together.

“Recycling containers not only ensures the longevity of the beverage container materials but also reduces the energy involved when re-manufacturing products and reduces the use of raw materials, and associated mining and extraction,” she said.

“Modernising the scheme will support South Australia’s existing community culture that has embraced the CDS, by expanding the pathways available to return containers, improving convenience of returns and improving the process of returning the container materials to the market for recycling.”

For more information, https://yoursay.sa.gov.au/container-deposit-scheme-amendment-bill