Australia

Currently only the state of South Australia has container deposit legislation; other states have considered enacting deposit laws as well.

Law Summary Environment Protection Act 1993, Part 8, Division 2: Beverage Containers. Commonly known as Container Deposit Legislation (CDL) sets up a deposit-refund system to Reduce beverage litter, achieve higher resource recovery rates, and educate the community to recycle.
Date Implemented Deposit legislation implemented in 1975.  Integrated with Environment Protection Act in 1993
Containers Covered Most beverage containers are covered except some large containers for certain beverages, listed below
Beverages Covered All beverages except: wine in glass bottles, casks, and sachets; plain milk and flavored milk in containers 1Litre or more, and 'pure' fruit juice
Refundable Deposits 10¢ for containers which are refundable at retailers*,
5¢ for containers that are refundable at Collection Depots2
Fees / Taxes  
Program Success Containers are recovered at the following rates:
  • 85% of non refillable glass bottles, compared with 36% nationally.
  • 84% of cans marketed in this State compared with 63% nationally.
  • 74% for PET whilst the national return rate is 36%. 
  • Liquid Paperboard, a recent inclusion, has a return rate of 40% increasing. 3[2]
View Legislation Container Deposit Legislation (sets up infrastructure)
Beverage Container Regulations 1995 (Administrative details)

Details

How South Australia's Deposit System Works

The Recyclers of South Australia have put together a detailed chart on their website explaining the steps in the deposit-return process.  This is a duplicate version.

Step 1
Beverage Filler

Wholesaler supplies to retailers. The 5 cent deposit and an agreed handling fee is included in the wholesale price of the beverage.

The deposit and handling fee is retained by the beverage filler or their agent who operates as the collection co-ordinator. This is held until the deposit containers are returned to them to be recycled.

Step 2
Retailer
(Hotels, Delicatessens, Supermarkets etc)

Supply consumers. The 5 cent deposit and handling fee is included in the retail price paid by the consumer for the beverage.  

Step 3
Consumer (or community groups

 Return deposit containers to recycling depot for full payment, 5 cent deposit.  

Step 4
Recycling Depot

Sort the containers by material and responsible agent, ie. Glass, aluminium, PET, into containers for return to the collection co-ordinators.

Marine Stores Pty Ltd

Lion Nathan / SA Brewing and Cooper products

Visy Recycling

CUB products

Statewide Recycling
Coca Cola, Schweppes, and companies marketing a wide range of boutique beers, spring waters etc. (cans, PET and non refillable glass containers)

Cans - Back to Marine Stores Pty Ltd


Glass - Broken up, and cullet sent to Beneficiation Plant.


Glass - Culleted and delivered to the Beneficiation Plan

Cans - Back to Visy Recycling (Can Co-ordinator)

Cans, PET, liquid paperboard , other plastics and steel cans back to Statewide Recycling the collection co-ordinator.


Glass - returned to the Beneficiation Plant.

Collection
Co-ordinator

Once containers are sorted, they are sent back to the collection co-ordinator, agent for the recycling of material and auditing.

Collection co-ordinators are:

Statewide Recycling
Flagcan Distributors
Visy Recycling
Marine Stores Pty Ltd

Collection co-ordiantors pay the Recycling depot back the 5 cent deposits which they paid out to the consumer in step 3, plus an agreed handling fee.

More information

92% of South Australians support their Container Deposit Legislation.  The 2003 Report, "Community awareness and acceptance of Container Deposit Legislation" [PDF,62kb] provides more details on what South Australians know and think of the CDL.

In 2006, South Australia is proposed some changes to their Environment Protection Act, as well changes to the container deposit regulations.  A possible increase in the amount of refund is central to the changes. As of 2008, however, consideration on this bill has closed, and no changes were made. View the summary of the proposed amendments [PDF,700kb].

Other States Considering Deposit Legislation

  • New South Wales

  • Western Australia

    • The Boomerang Alliance, a strong advocate for Zero Waste in Australia, has a collection of documents about the campaign for deposit laws in WA on their website.
    • BringItBack.org.au - the home of the campaign to introduce CDL in WA
    • View a report supporting deposit legislation by Diageo, a leading beverage company in WA and worldwide [PDF]

Footnotes

1. Container Deposit Legislation (CDL) in South Australia, http://www.hotkey.net.au/~gargoyle/CDL/AroundTheWorld/Australia/SA/index.html.

2.Container Deposit Legislation (CDL) in South Australia, http://www.hotkey.net.au/~gargoyle/CDL/AroundTheWorld/Australia/SA/index.html.

3. Recyclers of South Australia, http://www.recyclesa.com.au/CDLeffective.htm

4. Andrea Woods, Advisor, Container Deposit Legislation, Environment Protection Authority

Updated June 15, 2008