Tuesday, 27 June 2017
SCHOOLS, charities, community and sporting groups will soon be able to raise money and help the environment as part of the NSW Government’s container deposit scheme, Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall announced today.
The scheme, which comes into effect in less than six months, will allow organisations to collect drink cans and containers which will then earn 10 cents at an approved collection point. Groups will also be able to receive container deposit donations from the community for added benefit.
Mr Marshall has long championed the ‘cash for cans’ scheme, describing the historic initiative as a gamechanger for country NSW communities and the battle against litterbugs.
“This initiative is great news for our region’s waterways, parks, public spaces and roadsides – which will soon be cleaner and better cared for than ever,” Mr Marshall said.
“Drink cans and plastic drink containers make up almost 50 per cent of all litter and this refund scheme will turn an unsightly environmental issue into a great fundraising opportunity for enterprising local community and sporting groups.
“No one likes a litterbug – yet somehow 160 million drink containers are tossed into the environment every year, costing around $180 million to clean up. This scheme will save the taxpayer millions and help us reach our goal of reducing litter across NSW by 40 per cent by 2020.
“With a financial incentive, I expect there to be some interesting and clever solutions to donating litter – be it reverse vending machines, pop up collection kiosks or environmental cleanup drives.”
Eligible drink containers under the scheme include most between 150ml and three litres. Exceptions include those that are consumed mostly at home and that are recycled in council kerbside systems.
More detail about the scheme, including how and where to redeem eligible containers from 1 December and opportunities for local communities to participate will be available shortly.
For more information visit www.epa.nsw.gov.au/waste/cds-intro.htm