June 5, 2018
The introduction of the State Government’s proposed container deposit scheme has been pushed back from July to November.
The scheme will see consumers charged a 10c deposit on specified drink containers that can be redeemed at a collection depot, or by placing the containers into a reverse vending machine.
The program has been under discussion by the State Government since mid-2015 after a Newspoll showed 86 per cent of Queenslanders wanted a container deposit scheme introduced to reduce litter and expand recycling.
It was originally planned to be introduced on July 1.
However, the rollout of the new scheme in Queensland was postponed after the introduction of a similar scheme in NSW last December ran into difficulties due to a lack of collection points.
In February, the NSW Opposition claimed consumers had paid $110 million in higher beverage prices in the first three months after the scheme was introduced, but only $8.3 million had been returned to them.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian admitted her government’s program had suffered “major teething problems”.
Queensland Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch said it was clear there were lessons to be learned from the NSW experience.
The five-month delay in the scheme’s introduction is aimed at ensuring there will be more than 200 refund points across Queensland when the scheme comes into operation.
“It’s important we get the scheme right from day one so that its full community, environmental and recycling benefits are realised,” Ms Enoch said.
The state-wide ban on single-use plastic shopping bags – including compostable, degradable and biodegradable bags – will still come into force on July 1 as planned.
- External link: Types of plastic bags banned from July 1
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