The NSW Government will introduce a 10 cent refund container deposit scheme that will significantly reduce litter across the state, NSW Premier Mike Baird and Environment Minister Mark Speakman announced today.

The scheme will apply to most drink containers between 150ml and three litres, which will display NSW CDS labelling.

“The scheme we are announcing today is the single largest initiative ever undertaken to reduce litter in NSW,” Mr Baird said.

“Giving people a financial incentive to do the right thing and recycle drink containers will help to significantly reduce the estimated 160 million drink containers littered every year.”

Mr Speakman said a container deposit scheme targeting drink containers will deliver a key election commitment.

“We’re moving ahead with a container deposit scheme that will get bottles and cans off our streets and beaches and out of our waterways,” Mr Speakman said.

This scheme will make a major contribution to achieving one of the Premier’s 12 priorities, namely to reduce the volume of litter by 40 per cent by 2020.

Deputy Premier Troy Grant said NSW’s regions, with some of the highest volunteering participation rates in the state, could benefit from this scheme.

“This scheme will allow volunteer and sporting groups to raise much-needed funds to continue their great work in our communities,” Mr Grant said.

Some of the scheme’s features include:

• A 10 cent refund for anybody who returns an eligible container
• Collection depots will range from large-scale depots through to stand-alone reverse-vending-machines and pop-up sites
• Funding of the 10 cent refund as well as the associated handling and administration fees will be provided by beverage suppliers.

Mr Speakman will appoint an implementation working group and bring forward the draft legislation to establish the scheme.