What is a Container Deposit Scheme?

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In a nutshell, it’s cash back 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 a small, refundable deposit being added to the price of a beverage at the point of sale.

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. CDS are effective in reducing the amount of beverage container litter and increase recycling rates by using a financial incentive (10c in Australia).

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What are the benefits?

These schemes do a lot of good. They slash litter rates and reduce rubbish going to landfill or ending up in the environment, while boosting recycling rates. The contribute to lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduce water usage, create jobs, and provide opportunities to earn cash. Plus, they even help generating purer streams of recyclable materials that can find second life as inputs for new products – playing a key role in building a more sustainable, circular economy.

Did you know?

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 is now 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. CitizenBlue invites businesses, government bodies, community groups, and individuals to collaborate in making Sydney the cleanest city globally.

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What’s Next?

  • Tasmania’s scheme began 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.
  • The Heads of EPAs have released a Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) Behaviour Change – National Research study to inform the optimisation and alignment of participation in Container Deposit Schemes across Australia and New Zealand.

Here’s what’s happening around the country

CDS Vic was launched in November, 2023 and celebrated its first birthday on November 1, 2024. Since then, more than 1-billion containers in the first 12-months of operation – and counting.

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Tasmania’s Container Refund Scheme Recycle Rewards commenced mid-2025. It already hit 7-million returns in its first month of operation. With beverage containers making up to 45% of Tasmania’s litter, it’s estimated the scheme will reduce this by almost 50%.

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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%.

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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 12-billion containers have been returned and the volume of drink container litter has fallen by 52%.

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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.

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ACT started its scheme successfully on June 30, 2018. It has an overall return rate of 69%.

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

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NT started their scheme, Cash for Containers, on January 3, 2012. Before the scheme commenced in 2012, the Territory had a low beverage container recycling rate of 12.3%. Since the introduction of the scheme, beverage container recycling has increased to 78% in 2022 – 2023, reducing waste in the Territory. The NT have announced expansion to the scheme to cover a broader range of containers – including wine and spirit bottles, and plain milk in a national first.

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