Talking Point: Learn from the mainland and skip lousy container refund schemes

JEFF ANGEL: Tasmania should tread carefully on its container refund scheme — because, after lobbying, some interstate models make taking part too hard

PICK CONVENIENCE: Some container schemes make it too hard, including Queensland,where you must drive to a depot. In Europe, drop-off points are in shops. P icture: PETER CARRUTHERS

IT’S good news that Tasmania is finally getting a Container Refund Scheme. This means that most drink cans and bottles will come with a refund worth 10 cents.

The dedicated Tassie members of the Boomerang Alliance, councils, charities and many members of the community have been advocating for a Container Refund Scheme for years because it’s a simple, practical and powerful way to keep our waterways, beaches and oceans free from plastic waste; it provides a clean stream of material for recycling; and makes money for charities.

But to achieve its potential and be a great success, we have to get the design right.

We should not forget that big beverage companies have spent decades opposing these kinds of schemes, here in Australia and around the world.

When the Northern Territory government introduced a refund scheme back in 2012, Coke, Schweppes and Lion actually went to court to try to stop it.

So, instead of fighting against container refund schemes like the new one coming to Tassie, beverage companies are now fighting to control them.

Why?

Because these companies can save millions of dollars every year by making it harder for Tasmanians to recycle their bottles and collect their refunds.

Not surprisingly, then, many people have concerns about trusting them to create the best system that is convenient and maximises recovery for recycling.

It should be a simple choice for government and the community.

Who would run a scheme that offers the best convenience for consumers (maximising recycling) and not have a financial interest in keeping the millions of dollars of unredeemed refunds paid by consumers when they buy a drink?

In Europe, most collection points are actually close to or inside the supermarket. This makes recycling part of the everyday routine. You take your empty bottles with you, collect your refund and use the money to supplement your shopping.

In Queensland, where the beverage companies have a big say on the design and running of the network, you have to drive to a big depot in a light-industrial area joining queues of cars to return your containers. Or you can visit a self-serve pod that supplies special bags — but routinely runs outs of bags!

If we want the Tassie Container Refund Scheme to be the best it can be, then we need a convenient network of drop-off points, close to supermarkets and shopping centres. Not just in Hobart and Launceston but right across the state.

The best systems have a key role for reverse vending machines. They deliver a quick and accurate count and a fast refund. However, the recent schemes in Queensland (and soon Western Australia) that have beverage industry based managers, have hardly any.

Notably, this is not the case in NSW, which also delivers lower costs and better efficiency.

Tasmania is a unique state, and on this issue it is in a unique position.

Tassie can avoid the mistakes made by other states, Queensland in particular. Once the Container Refund Scheme is in place, it is virtually impossible to change.

For the sake of the environment, the economy and the community, the people of Tasmania should decide what their system is going to look like and how it’s going to work — not the big beverage companies.

Jeff Angel is director of the Boomerang Alliance, which is made up of 51 non-government organisations.