Advisory Group

The Environment Minister established the Container Deposit Scheme Advisory Group which includes members from the community, the beverage, retail and waste industries and local government. The Department chairs and provides secretariat support.

CDS Advisory Group Terms of Reference.

Technical Working Groups

Technical working groups provide advice on detailed technical design issues for implementation of the container deposit scheme.

• Beverage and Retail Industry Liaison
• Logistics and Resource Recovery and Local Government
• Community and Environment
• Local Government (WALGA CDS Policy Forum)

The decision regulation impact statement assesses the costs and benefits of the WA container deposit scheme. It finds benefits of $1.29 for every $1 of costs. Over a 20-year period the scheme is projected to result in:

• 0.7 billion fewer beverage containers being littered
• 5.9 billion fewer beverage containers ending up in landfill, and
• 6.6 billion more beverage containers being recycled.

A consultation regulation impact statement, providing a preliminary assessment of the costs and benefits of the scheme was open for a four-week comment period from 13 August until 10 September 2018. Twelve submissions were received.

The decision regulation impact statement amends the consultation regulation impact statement in the following ways:

• It considers relevant issues raised in submissions about the consultation regulation impact statement.
• It updates the assessment for progress in the design and development of the scheme that have taken place since the consultation regulation impact statement was released. (This includes expanded and refined scheme objectives and final minimum refund point numbers in the Minimum network standards: refund point locations and hours of operation).

The decision regulation impact statement has been considered by the WA Government’s Better Regulation Unit in line with the Regulatory Impact Assessment guidelines for Western Australia.

It has also been considered by the Commonwealth Government’s Office of Best Practice Regulation as the container deposit scheme will require an exemption under the Mutual Recognition Act 1992 (Cwlth) and the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997 (Cwlth).

Western Australian Container Deposit Scheme Discussion Paper (2017)

Western Australian Container Deposit Scheme Summary (2018)

Market research was undertaken in 2018 on customer refund point preferences. The research was based on input from focus groups and in-depth interviews covering disabled, remote and Aboriginal community requirements.

This research may assist potential refund point operators to develop infrastructure that meets community expectations.

For more information, please read Introducing a CDS in WA – key considerations for refund point options.

The revised start date for the container deposit scheme is 1 October 2020.

The original start date of the scheme was delayed in response to COVID-19 to protect public health and the financial viability of some scheme participants.

The scheme has been designed to provide opportunities for people with disability, older people and Aboriginal people. These community groups are generally more vulnerable and their involvement in the scheme may place them at greater risk of infection.

The scheme's postponement was in accordance with advice from the scheme coordinator. The State Government also responded to calls from community, local government and businesses for the scheme launch to be postponed.

The closing date for the community grants program was extended to Friday 3 April 2020.

While the community grants program will not be affected by the decision to defer the commencement of the scheme, the Government may consider reopening the program at a later date to allow for additional applications to be received.

Containers may not be stockpiled as containers that are supplied on or after scheme’s commencement are eligible for a 10-cent refund. This is because only containers supplied after the scheme starts have paid the costs for their collection, processing for recycling and refund.

You should continue to recycle containers before the start of the scheme through your yellow top recycling bin.

The container deposit scheme aims to reduce litter and improve recycling. Beverage containers account for 44% of all litter by volume in WA (2017-18 National Litter Index).

South Australia, the Northern Territory, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland have schemes in place. The states with long standing schemes have the lowest volume of beverage container litter in Australia.

You can return an empty eligable beverage container to a refund point to receive a 10 cent refund. The scheme will operate state-wide.

The scheme will start on 1 October 2020. 

Further information is available from the scheme coordinator WA Return Recycle Renew – you can visit their website https://warrrl.com.au or call 13 42 42.

The scheme aims to align with schemes in other Australian jurisdictions.

Beverage containers between 150 millilitres and three litres in volume eligible for the refund include:

• soft drink cans and bottles;
• bottled waters – both plastic and glass;
• small flavoured milk drinks;
• beer and cider cans and bottles; and
• sports drinks and spirit-based mixed drinks.

Containers that are not part of the scheme include:

• plain milk (or milk substitute) containers;
• flavoured milk containers of one litre or more;
• pure fruit or vegetable juice containers of one litre or more;
• glass containers for wine and spirits;
• casks (plastic bladders in boxes) for wine and casks for water – one litre or more;
• sachets for wine of 250 millilitres or more;
• containers for cordials, concentrated fruit/vegetable juices; and
• registered health tonics.

A more detailed list of containers is available.

The scheme aligns the list of included containers with that in other States and Territories to reduce consumer confusion and beverage supplier cost.

The 10 cent refund will only apply to containers purchased after the scheme commences. Under the legislation, containers collected prior to the commencement date will not be eligible for refunds. However, littered beverage containers collected after the scheme commencement will be accepted as within the spirit of the scheme which aims to reduce litter.

A convenient and accessible network of more than 170 refund points will be open for business across WA when Containers for Change starts. A minimum of 229 refund points will be open one year later.

The scheme coordinator WA Return Recycle Renew is currently assessing the submissions received through an open application process to establish refund points. This will determine the location of refund points.

WA Return Recycle Renew is required to meet the Minimum network standards: Refund point locations and hours of operation. The consultation summary provides further information and indicative locations for refund points.

The cost of cans and bottles may increase to reflect the refund and scheme costs.

In New South Wales, the price of all eligible container beverages increased by an average of 7.7 cents per container due to the CDS and a similar change in price is expected to occur in Western Australia. The Economic Regulation Authority has been commissioned to monitor beverage prices before and after the scheme commences to measure any price changes.

Containers returned to refund points will be sorted into material type (glass, aluminium, PET plastic or HDPE plastic etc.). The sorted containers will then be sent for further processing and delivered to a final recycling destination.

Western Australian legislation prohibits refunded beverage containers from being sent to landfill.

Yes. Recycling, whether through the scheme or at home, benefits the environment. Recycling of beverage containers placed in yellow-top bins will continue after the scheme starts.

Reducing our waste and improving our recycling is important. The latest national waste data (2016-17) shows that Western Australians on average sent 0.92 tonnes of waste to landfill per capita, which is the fourth highest rate in the country.

Containers for Change is expected to create about 500 jobs across the State operating the collection network, processing and transport.

Recycling has positive economic benefits and creates more jobs than sending waste to landfill. Every 10,000 tonnes of waste recycled creates 9.2 full-time jobs compared with 2.8 jobs when the same amount of waste is sent to landfill.

It is an offence to supply a beverage in an eligible container unless the first responsible supplier has a supply agreement with the scheme coordinator (to pay collection costs), the container has been approved (to ensure it can be recycled) and the container bears the refund mark (to enable consumers to identify eligible containers).

Yes. There will be a 24-month transition period from the scheme's starting date during which a first responsible supplier will be allowed to supply beverages in containers that do not carry the refund mark.

This will allow suppliers to use up stock with a long shelf life and container labels they have already printed. After the transition period, it will be unlawful for the supplier to supply an eligible container without a refund mark.

Yes. All states and territories with container deposit schemes (New South Wales, Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, South Australia and the Northern Territory) have agreed to use the same refund mark.

The refund mark must state: “10c refund at collection depots/points in participating State/Territory of purchase”.

The refund mark must be displayed in a colour and size that ensure it is clear and legible. It is recommended that the numeral ‘10’ be a minimum of 3 mm in height with a minimum 3 mm ‘free space’ boundary around the refund mark.

There will be a transition period in WA allowing a first responsible supplier to supply a container without an eligible refund mark for 24 months after the scheme begins.

The State Government is committed to reducing waste and litter across all waste streams. The Government has banned lightweight plastic bags and is working towards reducing single-use plastic items. These programs and the container deposit scheme complement the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030 and the Litter Prevention Strategy for Western Australia 2015-2020.

The Government funds litter prevention programs, including community engagement and school education, data collection and enforcement. The Government also funds the Community and Industry Engagement program to support projects that contribute to the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030, and the Waste Wise Schools program, which includes grants for waste minimisation projects.