With signs of growing support around the country for compulsory container deposit schemes, two NSW MPs have announced they will introduce legislation to ensure a 10¢ refundable deposit paid on all drink containers sold in the state.
The Greens MP Cate Faehrmann and the lord mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, will introduce the Waste Avoidance (beverage containers) Bill within weeks, in an attempt to establish a similar scheme to that which has been operating in South Australia for more than 30 years.
Their move follows this year’s launch of the Northern Territory’s container deposit scheme, which has a 10¢ deposit imposed on most drink containers.
The legislation would include a deposit imposed on containers for alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, juice, water, milk and milk drinks.
To recover deposits, consumers would have to take containers to depots at shopping centres, car parks, service stations, schools, community centres and drive-through recycling centres, or use ”reverse vending machines”, where containers are inserted and money is paid out.
Ms Faehrmann said a deposit scheme was the best way to reduce litter. In South Australia containers made up 4 per cent of all litter while in other states it was more than 30 per cent.
The NSW Liberal MP Mark Coure has backed the idea in Parliament. ”This is a no-brainer, I’d like to support it,” he said.
State and federal environment ministers are due to consider a national deposit scheme at a meeting in August.
