Consultation Process
This online engagement was hosted on YourSAy from 13 January 2019 to 22 February 2019. Below is a record of the consultation process.
How can we build on our success and improve the effectiveness of the container deposit scheme in resource recovery and litter reduction?
What is being decided?
The government is seeking suggestions on the scope of a review to improve SA’s Container Deposit Scheme (CDS).
How you can get involved
Read the Improving South Australia's Recycling Makes Cents scoping paper(Opens in a new window). You can also read a summary of the discussion paper(Opens in a new window).
Have your say by:
- joining the online discussion
- completing the survey
- emailing a written submission to epainfo@sa.gov.au
- mailing a written response to:
Environment Protection Authority
GPO Box 2607, Adelaide SA 5001
How can your input influence the decision?
Your comments are sought on what should be considered as part of the review, including what works well and should be retained.
Community feedback will help inform a review of the container deposit scheme. A summary of feedback will be prepared and released publicly. Based on the outcomes of this consultation process, further detailed consultation on a container deposit scheme review discussion paper will be undertaken in mid-2019.
Contact details
For general enquiries, please phone (08) 8204 2036 or email epainfo@sa.gov.au.
Closing date: Friday 22 February 2019
Background
How does the Container Deposit System work in SA?
South Australia’s container deposit legislation is contained within Part 8 Division 2 of the Environment Protection Act 1993.
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is the regulator of the scheme and ensures that the refund is made available for the person returning the empty container to the collection depot and that the empty containers are collected for recycling or reuse.
The collection and recycling process has been established by companies called ‘super collectors’, which enter into contractual arrangements with both collection depots and beverage suppliers. The beverage suppliers must ensure that they have an effective waste management arrangement for the return and recovery of their containers sold in SA and they must ensure that their containers are recyclable.
The process ensures consumers are refunded the deposit and depots are paid for the collection and sorting service. The financial incentive provided by the ability to get a refund ensures the empty beverage containers are collected for recycling rather than littered or sent to landfill.
Our historical leadership in container recycling
South Australia has led the way in Australia in container recycling for over 40 years.
1977
Container deposit legislation was first introduced in SA in 1977 as a litter control measure and is now also used to support resource recovery and recycling. The Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) was introduced to address significant volumes of beverage containers in the litter stream and broadly coincided with the introduction of non-refillable beverage containers such as cans and then later, plastic soft drink bottles. Prior to this, refillable glass bottles for beer and soft drinks were collected via voluntary schemes established by the manufacturers of those beverages.
2003
In 2003 the scope of containers covered by the CDS was expanded to include additional beverage containers such as flavoured milk, juice and waters prevalent in the litter stream at the time.
2008
In 2008 the deposit amount was increased from 5 cents to 10 cents. South Australia’s CDS continues to be a highly successful environmental program aimed at litter reduction and resource recovery.
2011-12
The CDS return rate reached an all time high of 81% of all valid containers.
2017-18
In 2017–18, almost 603 million containers were recovered by collection depots for recycling, representing a return rate of almost 77% and diverting about 42,913 tonnes from landfill or litter in that year.
This consultation
There is an opportunity to build on this success and improve the management of the CDS and the effectiveness of the scheme to promote litter reduction and resource recovery. The government are therefore keen to hear from everyone involved in the scheme, from the manufacturers of beverage containers, to the person returning their empty containers to the local recycling depot, about their ideas to make the CDS work even better.
We are inviting your thoughts on what issues should be the focus of the CDS review.
Read the Improving South Australia's Recycling Makes Cents scoping paper(Opens in a new window).
