Have your say on a Palaszczuk Government's container refund scheme for Queensland

As Queensland prepares for a container refund scheme aimed at getting empty drink cans and bottles off our beaches, parks and public areas, industry and the public are invited to have a say on how the scheme will run.

Environment Minister Dr Steven Miles today (Saturday) released a discussion paper at www.ehp.qld.gov.au and invited comments on the options it outlines until 20 March 2017.

“The paper was prepared with the industry and other stakeholders, and sets out options to ensure the scheme is workable and beneficial when it’s introduced on 1 July 2018,” Dr Miles said.

“By introducing a 10 cent refund for every eligible drink container, we can decrease litter and waste, reduce the risk to wildlife, increase recycling, create employment opportunities and raise money for charitable causes – or let the kids raise pocket money.

“Queensland’s recycling rate sits at about 44 percent, one of the country’s lowest. Queensland is consistently the most littered mainland state. Visually, drink cans and bottles dominate our litter stream.

“A 2015 NewsPoll showed 86 per cent of Queenslanders wanted a container refund scheme. This was backed up by the overwhelmingly positive response to the announcement in July last year that the Palaszczuk Government had decided to introduce a scheme.

“Other parts of Australia already have such schemes – South Australia since the 1970s, and the Northern Territory since 2011. New South Wales has legislated to bring in its scheme later this year, and we’ll follow in 2018.

“Even though our scheme starts after the NSW scheme, we want a seamless system that’s good for the environment and friendly for business and avoids confusing people. The rules that apply to a bottle of soft drink sold at Tweed Heads should be the same for the Gold Coast,” he said.

Dr Miles said there was considerable industry and community support for the scheme.

“People from all sectors want to get on and help us implement a scheme that works for Queensland. Now we have a paper on the implementation options, we particularly want community groups and other organisations to provide feedback, as they will potentially benefit greatly from the scheme.”

Andrew Donne, Chief Executive of Endeavour Foundation – a member of the National Association of Charitable Recycling Organisations – welcomed the initiative.

“Endeavour Foundation already has a broad recycling portfolio, including e-waste, resource recovery and tip shops,” Mr Donne said.

“As we’ve recently expanded into container recycling, this scheme could not be more timely. Its potential to create additional training and employment opportunities for people with a disability supports our core focus of working together to bring real possibilities to life.

“To that end, in tandem with positive environmental outcomes for our state, it’s a real win for the Queensland community,” Mr Donne said.

Dr Miles said most drink containers between 150ml and three litres would be eligible for a refund under the scheme, with containers to be clearly marked. Some drink containers would be exempt, such as containers for plain milk and milk substitutes, while flavoured milk, water, pure juice and wine containers over a specified volume or made of certain materials would not be included in the scheme.

“People will be able to take the eligible empty containers to a container collection point, which might be a permanent depot or a reverse vending machine, to receive a 10-cent refund,” Dr Miles said.

The Palaszczuk Government also plans to ban light-weight single-use plastic shopping bags in 2018.

The Queensland Government’s discussion paper seeking public feedback on the plastic bag ban is available online at www.ehp.qld.gov.au/waste. The closing date for comment is 27 February.

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