One of the many Return and Earn machines that will accept wine and spirits bottles by 2027. Photo: Supplied.
Illawarra residents will be able to cash in on their wine and spirit bottles, with NSW’s container deposit scheme set to pop the cork on its biggest recycling expansion yet.
Cordial and juice concentrate bottles will also be eligible for the Return and Earn program as part of the expanded plan, which is expected to be rolled out by the end of 2027.
Now active in every state and territory, the container deposit scheme is the most successful recycling program in Australia’s history, incentivising recycling by offering a 10-cent refund for returning a range of bottles and containers.
It has meant more than $1.29 billion in container refunds have gone back into people’s pockets in NSW, helping with the cost of living, saving for a goal or to support charity.
Expansion of the program in NSW and also South Australia will see nearly half a billion additional beverage containers returned each year, saved from landfill and sent for recycling.
Earlier this year, Return and Earn spokesperson and return point network operator TOMRA Cleanaway CEO James Dorney said the Illawarra community were enthusiastic users of Return and Earn and had collectively returned more than 500 million drink containers through local return points since the scheme began.
NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said the container deposit scheme was fantastic for the environment, great for the recycling industry and put money back in people’s pockets.
“It’s also incredibly popular with more and more items collected every year,” she said.
“By expanding to include more types of beverages, it’s estimated at least 27,000 tonnes of materials will be saved from landfill each year in NSW.”
However, she said it was “really important people don’t try to take their wine bottles to a Return and Earn machine tomorrow”.
“We’re working with industry to ensure a smooth transition and to ensure return systems will be ready to handle the new containers by mid-2027,” she said.
This delay will give the wine and spirits industry time to adjust and allow collection points and systems to ramp up for the additional new containers.
There are 650 Return and Earn stations across NSW that will need to be adjusted to accept wine and spirits glass bottles, cordial and juice concentrate containers and larger containers of up to three litres of beverages already in the scheme, like flavoured milk, fruit and vegetable juice.
Plain milk and health tonic containers are not part of the scheme.
As the states work together on the changes, South Australia Deputy Premier Susan Close said making the container deposit scheme simpler reduced confusion about what’s included and what’s not.
“It will also help to keep glass out of landfill and support local remanufacturing,” Ms Close said.
“We’ve listened to industry concerns, particularly from smaller wine producers and we will continue to engage closely with them as reforms roll out.
“We will assist the wine and spirit industry with this transition and will work with the industry to ensure the least cost, simplest approach possible, with a special focus on assisting smaller operations.”
In the meantime, people are encouraged to keep recycling larger bottles and containers through their kerbside bins, until collection points are ready.
Queensland has already integrated glass wine and spirit bottles, with Western Australia making a commitment during its recent state election and Northern Territory announcing it will bring in legislation to expand its scheme.
