Container Deposit Scheme

Background

The Environment Protection (Beverage Containers and Plastic Bags) Act 2011 establishes the Northern Territory (NT) container deposit scheme. The objectives of the scheme are to increase recycling and reuse of beverage container waste and provide Territorians with access to facilities where they exchange their eligible containers for 10 cent refunds.

Before the scheme commenced in 2012, the Territory had a low rate of beverage container recycling (12.3%) compared with the national rate (approximately 47%). Since the introduction of the scheme, beverage container recycling has increased to 78% in 2022 to 2023, reducing waste in the Territory.

The NT circular economy strategy 2022 to 2027 sets out the government’s plan to reduce, reuse and recycle waste into a valuable resource, and start the transition to a circular economy and aims to build on the success of the scheme.

Container Deposit Scheme Review

An independent review by Ernst & Young in 2018 reflected a high level of support among members of the public for expanding the scheme to include additional containers. The review made recommendations on how the scheme could be further improved to reduce complexity of eligible containers in the scheme, enhance scheme access and resource recovery, particularly in regional and remote communities, improve scheme data and reporting, and streamline scheme approvals.

The NT Government has committed to improving and expanding the scheme and to increase accessibility to the scheme in regional and remote areas, and implementing the review recommendations to help to drive the transition to a circular economy.

To inform its approach to reforming the scheme, the NT Government consulted on a discussion paper in 2023. The discussion paper sought feedback on how to:

• expand and simplify permitted containers to include all ready to drink beverages
• incentivise increased container returns across all material types and in regional and remote communities
• improve scheme data and reporting by transitioning scheme participant reporting to an online platform.

Read the 2018 review PDF (1.1 MB).

Read the 2023 discussion paper and consultation summary report on the Have Your Say website.

Container Deposit Scheme reforms

Several of the review recommendations have been implemented. This includes reforms in 2021-22 to streamline the approvals and registration scheme and remove unnecessary processes.

Further reforms of the scheme are being progressed, including the setting of targets and other improvements that require amendments to the Act.

Scheme targets and policy roadmap

Scheme targets have been set by the minister responsible for the environment to incentivise increased beverage container returns, and recovery and recycling of container materials.

The targets will be implemented in a staged approach, as set out in a policy roadmap. The roadmap explains the approach to monitoring and evaluating performance against targets and setting new targets in subsequent stages.

This commences with stage 1 aspirational (voluntary) targets for 2 years from 1 July 2024.

These targets aim to encourage industry to do more to increase container returns, especially in regional and remote areas and across all container materials.

All Territorians have a responsibility to reduce the waste they generate, increase their recycling and choose recycled products where possible.

Read the roadmap to learn more about the targets and stages of implementation PDF (1.2 MB).

Amending the Act

The Act is being amended to improve the scheme. Proposed changes to the Act include:

• Expanding the scheme to cover a broader range of containers.
• Amendments to transition powers and functions of the NT Environment Protection Authority (NT EPA) to the minister, chief executive officer of the Department of Lands, Planning and Environment.
• Amendments to transfer review jurisdiction to the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NTCAT) so it becomes the body to undertake administrative review decisions that are presently within the jurisdiction of the local court under the Act. This continues the NT Government work of gradually transferring review jurisdictions to the NTCAT, and away from the local court.

The NT Government is now inviting industry and key stakeholders to provide comment on a draft Bill to introduce these changes to the Container Deposit Scheme.

These changes have been informed by the public consultation in 2023, including feedback from the community, scheme participants and other businesses that make the Container Deposit Scheme work.

Share your feedback before 18 July 2024 on the Have Your Say website.

Regulatory information

Further information about participant registrations and approvals, reporting and targets is available on the NT EPA website.

Resources

Downloadable resources have been prepared for community members and retailers to increase awareness of the scheme and encourage participation around the NT.

Download and print the resources to spread the message in your community.

• Poster PDF (1.2 MB)
• Flyer PDF (1.2 MB)
• Fact sheet PDF (2.1 MB)
• Social media tiles PDF (3.5 MB).

Videos are available to share.

More information

For more information on the Container Deposit Scheme, email circulareconomy@nt.gov.au.