Recycle Rewards

Background

Container refund schemes incentivise the return of used beverage containers in exchange for a refund. The collected containers must then be recycled to ensure materials have future use. These schemes are an example of ‘Extended Producer Responsibility’ (often referred to as ‘polluter pays’) and are proven to both reduce public littering and improve recycling outcomes.

Tasmania’s container refund scheme will be called Recycle Rewards, and it’s two objectives – to reduce litter and increase recycling – will support the development of our circular economy.

Beverage containers make up 45 per cent of Tasmania’s litter. It is estimated that Recycle Rewards will reduce this by almost 50 per cent, as well as double recycling rates of eligible beverage containers.

Read the Explanatory Paper or watch the video below to see how the scheme will work.

Start Date

We can’t wait to let you all know when Recycle Rewards will start, however, there are a few things we need to finalise before this happens. Many details about the scheme, including the commencement date, will be announced once the governing bodies have been selected and contracts are finalised. To ensure this important scheme is accessible, affordable and maximises the return of eligible containers for recycling, we need to ensure its framework is as robust as possible.

We acknowledge that the scheme will commence later than previously anticipated but it is important that we get it right, please know that we are working hard to make Recycle Rewards a reality for Tasmanians as soon as possible. We appreciate the patience of the Tasmanian community throughout this time.

Legal Framework

The Container Refund Scheme Bill 2021 has passed through Parliament, supporting the Government’s vision of reducing litter and increasing recycling. The Bill passed the House of Assembly on 10 November 2021, and passed the Legislative Council unamended on 10 March 2022.

The Container Refund Scheme Act 2022 can be viewed here: Tasmanian Legislation.

The draft Container Refund Scheme Regulations 2023 were released for public consultation on 3 May 2023, outlining key operational details stemming from the Container Refund Scheme Act 2022. The draft Container Refund Scheme Regulations 2023 are accessible here. The public feedback period has closed, and submissions will be published shortly.