Surfrider Foundation’s Queensland branches are working collaboratively to support campaign initiatives led by the Boomerang Alliance (of which Surfrider Foundation Australia is a member) to lobby for legislative changes to introduce a Container Deposit Recycling Scheme (CDL) in QLD. The container deposit scheme is a piece of environmental legislation for litter reduction and resource recovery focussing on the ‘polluter pays’ principle, meaning that if someone discards an empty container they forfeit the right to the refund and someone else would benefit by picking it up and collecting that refund. It is also a piece of legislation that fosters ‘product stewardship’ in which industry is obliged to take greater responsibility for its packaging after it has been sold. In the case of CDL, beverage suppliers must ensure that a system is in place for the recovery and recycling of their empty beverage containers.
South Australia introduced its CDL in 1977, which to this day continues to be a highly successful environmental program. South Australia leads the nation in the recovery, recycling and litter reduction of beverage containers with a current, overall return rate of 79.5%. With the refund scheme, beverage containers make up only 2.2% of litter. In 2013–14 nearly 583 million containers (or over $58 million in refunds to the community) were returned to collection depots, representing around 45,000 tonnes of containers that may have otherwise ended up as litter or landfill. The container deposit scheme also provides a financial benefit to community groups, sporting clubs and charities that collect empty containers for refund. In 2012–13 nearly $60 million was refunded to the community.
A recent survey showed that 98% of respondents support the container deposit scheme with an overwhelming majority perceiving the scheme to be effective in reducing litter, encouraging the recycling and reuse of drink containers as well as reducing the number of containers going to landfill. South Australians enjoy the convenience of an extensive depot network throughout the metropolitan and regional areas of the state. Many of the 126 approved depots accept a wide range of recyclable materials making them a ‘one stop shop’ for the public.