Container Deposit Schemes

What is a Container Deposit Scheme?

  • It's cash for cans and bottles! Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) refers to the collection of drink containers and receiving a cash refund for each container returned.
  • Container Deposit Schemes (also known as Container Refund Schemes, Cash for Containers or Container Deposit Legislation) involve the addition of a small, refundable deposit being added to the price of a beverage at the point of sale.
  • CDS are effective in reducing the amount of beverage container litter and increase recycling rates by using a financial incentive (10c in Australia). When the beverage has been consumed and the container is empty, it can be returned to a collection point, where the refund of the deposit is redeemed.


What are the benefits?

These schemes slash litter rates and reduce rubbish going to landfill or ending up in the environment, increase recycling rates,  lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduce water usage, create jobs, deliver cash to our our hip pockets and generate purer streams of recyclable materials that can have a second life as inputs to new products, helping to build a more sustainable ‘circular economy’.


By the way - you get a 10 cent refund for every eligible drink container you return and you can choose to keep the refund or donate it to your favourite cause (like Clean Up Australia!)


From 2025, Australia will be the first continent to be fully covered by Container Deposit Schemes.



Clean Up Australia is a proud beneficiary of CitizenBlue, an organisation mobilising involvement in the NSW Return and Earn cash for containers refund scheme. Through its inner Sydney depot, CitizenBlue actively engages in the collection and recycling of drink bottles and cans, contributing to the broader effort to combat waste pollution. Citizen Blue invites businesses, government bodies, community groups, and individuals to collaborate in making Sydney the cleanest city globally.  To learn more about CitizenBlue, please click here: CitizenBlue Five Dock | Return and Earn


What's next?

  • Tasmania’s scheme will begin operating mid-2025. The scheme is the final piece in the puzzle in Australia’s national network of Container Deposit Schemes.
  • Clean Up Australia is lobbying for wine and spirit bottles to be recognised as eligible containers in all states.
  • We'd like to see the use of recycled content in all beverage containers.
  • Clean Up Australia supports an increase in the refund amount for eligible containers. 

Every State and Territory in Australia has now announced or put in place a Container Deposit Scheme.


Here’s a rundown of what’s happening around the country. 


VIC

CDS Vic was launched in November, 2023 and celebrated its first birthday on November 1, 2024. It has already recycled more than one billion containers in the first 12 months of operation. Learn more here.


TAS

TAS has announced it will deliver a Container Refund Scheme by mid-2025. With beverage containers making up to 45% of Tasmania's litter, it is estimated the scheme will reduce this by almost 50%. Learn more about their plans here.


SA

SA started their scheme in 1977, paving the way for container deposit legislation in Australia. After more than 40 years, SA continues to lead the country in litter reduction of beverage containers, with an overall return rate of 76.4%. Learn more about their scheme here. 


NSW

NSW started their scheme, Return and Earn, on December 1, 2017. Communities across the state have made recycling a part of their everyday routine. Since the scheme began, more than twelve billion containers have been returned and the volume of drink container litter has fallen by 52%. Learn more here.


QLD

QLD started their scheme, Containers for Change, on 1 November 2018. In 2024, wine and spirit bottles were added as eligible containers to the CDS program in Queensland, in an Australian first.  Learn more about the scheme here.


ACT

ACT started its successfully scheme on June 30, 2018. Learn more about the scheme here.


WA

WA’s Container Deposit Scheme, Containers for Change, started on 1 October 2020. They also have an app to find refund locations! Learn more here.


NT

NT started their scheme, Cash for Containers, on January 3, 2012. Before the scheme commenced in 2012, the Territory had a low rate of beverage container recycling rate of 12.3%. Since the introduction of the scheme, beverage container recycling has increased to 78% in 2022 to 2023, reducing waste in the Territory. The NT are currently considering expanding the scheme to cover a broader range of containers - exciting stuff! Learn more here.


More Actions You Can Take

Packaging

We must reduce the amount of packaging used and recover more of it for recycling.

Learn More

Circular Economy

Discover how to create a closed loop and why it's important to support a circular economy.

Learn more

Coffee Cups

Coffee cups are estimated to be the second-largest contributor to litter waste.

Learn More
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