Victoria to join other states with container deposit scheme

Victoria will become the last state in Australia to introduce a container deposit scheme, which will not be implemented until 2023.

The NSW government's container deposit schemein action in the border town of Albury-Wodonga. Picture: Simon Dallinger

Victoria will become the last state in Australia to introduce a container deposit scheme, which will not be implemented until 2023.

Premier Daniel Andrews and Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio are set to reveal details of the long-awaited announcement on Monday afternoon.

The 10c per container measure is part of the Andrews government’s “circular economy” policy, which has been introduced to address a series of problems with Victoria’s recycling system, including recycling being sent to landfill and a series of toxic fires on sites where waste was being stockpiled.

Ms D’Ambrosio said the container deposit scheme “will reduce the amount of plastic and waste that goes to landfill”.

“It will give a second, third and fourth life to beverage containers. It will reduce litter. And it will mean businesses have an ongoing source of recycling material to turn into new products,” she said.

Victoria’s container deposit scheme is give a second, third and fourth life to beverage containers, Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio says.

South Australia was the first state in Australia to introduce a container deposit scheme in 1977, which expanded to the Northern Territory in 2012.

New South Wales introduced a scheme in 2017, followed by the ACT and Queensland in 2018.

Western Australia and Tasmania have since announced schemes which are due to be introduced in 2020 and 2022 respectively.

The Victorian Coalition announced its own cash for containers policy earlier this month, as part of its “zero to landfill” scheme to end waste being sent to landfill by 2035 by burning waste to generate energy.

The Victorian Greens said they had been campaigning for a container deposit scheme for more than a decade, and welcomed the Andrews government’s decision.

“However, the Greens have said that it should be established as soon as possible rather than the 2023 date announced by the government,” Greens environment spokeswoman Ellen Sandell said.

She said the announcement was a direct result of having Greens in parliament.

“Over the past ten years the party has attempted to introduce legislation for a scheme on four separate occasions,” Ms Sandell said.

“With Victoria in the midst of a waste crisis and tens of thousands of recyclables being dumped in landfill, the government simply cannot afford to stick to the status quo for three more years.”