Container Refund Scheme Could Shortchange Region

July 23, 2018

by Dafyd Martindale

The State Government’s Container Refund Scheme (CRS) is set to commence on November 1 … but unless more community groups step forward across Queensland, many residents could be left high, dry and out of pocket.

The CRS scheme means consumers will be charged an extra 10 cents on most common beverage containers between 150ml and 3 litres, excluding plain milk, wine and pure juice containers.

The used containers will then be able to be redeemed at designated refund points.

However, containers that are not redeemed translate into a cash windfall for the State Government.

So far, southburnett.com.au knows of only one planned drop-off point in the South Burnett: at Cherbourg.

The State Government had initially planned to roll out the CRS on July 1, but was forced to postpone its introduction when it emerged an insufficient number of refund points had been set up.

Environment Minister Leanne Enoch said a new not-for-profit company Container Exchange (CoEx) had been appointed to administer the refund scheme, and tasked with ensuring an adequate number of container refund points are in place when the CRS starts.

CoEx will be running community forums in August and September to provide information about how community groups and not-for-profit organisations can get involved in the scheme as container donation points.

However, the South Burnett is being bypassed by these forums.

Community groups interested in finding out how they can get involved will need to travel to a forum at Gympie on Thursday, August 25; Toowoomba on Tuesday, September 4; or Dalby on Wednesday, September 5.

The State Government expects 38 per cent of containers will be redeemed through Container Refund Points, and a further 25 per cent through Material Recycling Facilities.

The balance of funds raised by the scheme will go to the State Government.

A similar scheme introduced in NSW in December last year has returned far worse figures for consumers.

According to the State Opposition, NSW consumers paid an extra $110 million in CRS levies in the first three month’s of that state’s CRS scheme, but the State Government only returned $8.3 million to them in refunds.

Another $46.65 million went to waste collection companies.

Part of the problem was that while the NSW Government promised there would be 440 collection points around the State, only 190 were in operation when the scheme began.

As well, the high cost of driving long distances to a local redemption point deterred many consumers, who preferred to put their cans into a recyclables bin in areas that had a waste recycling service.