SA’s bottle deposit scheme up for review, with wine bottles and other drink containers in sights

Wine bottles are a glaring omission from the state’s 10 cents per bottle recycling scheme, but that may be about to change. Find out what else is in the crosshairs.

Wine bottles could finally be added to the state’s 10c bottle deposit scheme.

The state government is gauging public support for including wine and other large alcohol bottles to the recycling program, which was introduced to SA in 1977.

They are the standout omissions of the recycling program, which pays 10c a bottle.

The government is also canvassing support to add other drink containers to the scheme, including plain milk, fruit juices and flavoured milks in containers that are bigger than one litre, and cordial bottles.

Environment Minister David Speirs said depending on the results of the consultation, tens of millions more drink containers could be recycled every year, creating a $70m in economic boost and 120 new jobs.

“South Australia led the way when it introduced Australia’s first container deposit scheme, but much has changed since then, new technologies and the community’s desire and ability to recycle more container materials,” he said.

“More than 600 million drinks containers are returned by South Australians each year … resulting in one of the most effective systems in the world, with beverage containers accounting for less than three per cent of litter items in the state.’’

The public can vote on the idea – and read the full 92-page discussion paper – on the government’s Environment Protection Authority and YourSAy websites, with the options to include:

PLAIN milk containers;

ANY wine containers;

GLASS liquor bottles;

FRUIT and vegetable containers of one litre or more;

FLAVOURED milk in containers of one litre or more;

CONCENTRATED fruit or vegetable juice containers;

HEALTH tonic bottles;

CORDIAL bottles; or

ANY drink bottles of more than three litres.

There are no plans to increase the 10c deposit.

Mr Speirs said the review that produced the discussion paper also considered options to improve council kerbside recycling collection.

“Glass breaks and contaminates other recyclables, with only a very small amount of glass in the yellow kerbside bins being recovered for high-value glass manufacturing, which is a significant council cost impost,’’ he said.

Mr Speirs said the discussion paper was also trying to eliminate confusion over what was and wasn’t allowed.

“For example, pure fruit juice in containers over one litre is not included, whereas ‘fruit drinks’ up to 3 litres are included,” he said.

Proposed improvements also included making it easier to get electronic refunds or to be able to donate to charities and introducing better systems to make it easier for groups to participate.

The review of the scheme began in January 2019.

More than 1170 responses were considered in the development of the options presented in the discussion paper.

Voting closes on Friday, November 19, 2021.