On World Environment Day (5 June), there’s good news from Australia’s beaches: our coastlines are cleaner and container refund schemes are a big reason why. New CSIRO research reveals a 39% reduction in plastic pollution along Australian coastlines since container refund schemes were introduced over a decade ago. With Tasmania’s Recycle Rewards scheme launched in May, Australia is now the first continent with full coverage of these programs.
With 2,000 surveys conducted across six major urban centres and surrounding areas, including Hobart, Newcastle, Perth, Port Augusta, the Sunshine Coast, and Alice Springs, the research shows that clean-up activities in urban coastal areas, including community volunteer programs and local government beach maintenance, have helped reduce the amount of rubbish found on Australia’s beaches. Clean Up Australia has been running national clean-up events for 35 years, with over a million people participating.
The data tells the good news story
TOMRA Cleanaway, the network operator for container deposit schemes (CDS) in NSW, Victoria (West Zone), and Tasmania, has handled an incredible number of eligible drink bottles, cans, and cartons through the 10c refund schemes since NSW began in December 2017. Over 14.5 billion eligible drink containers have been recycled through TOMRA Cleanaway’s services across all three states. The CSIRO report reveals other benefits that include:
- NSW has seen a 13.6% drop in beverage container litter since its scheme began.
- Clean Up Australia Day 2024 saw a record number of volunteers, with Tasmania experiencing a 14% increase in community participation.
- The schemes are driving a growing circular economy, transforming waste into valuable resources, creating jobs, and supporting local fundraising efforts.
James Dorney, CEO of TOMRA Cleanaway, said that it’s a rare moment where policy, community action, and the environment all align with the data to prove it.
“Container deposit schemes have helped reduce plastic found on beaches in tourist hotspots, and we can see the real-world impact in Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania, where CSIRO’s reports have noted reductions in plastic waste.
“The clear plastic that we collect [can be] turned back into flake and pellets and be back on the shelf in the form of another drink container in six to eight weeks,
“These programs are not just cleaning up our streets and beaches as well as keeping plastic bottles and containers out of landfills, they’re helping shift community mindsets around recycling and sustainability. On World Environment Day, it’s a reminder of what’s possible when community, government, and industry work together towards a cleaner, greener future.”
Driving value from recycling
TOMRA Cleanaway proudly operates the refund collection point networks for NSW Return and Earn, Tasmania’s Recycle Rewards, and the West Zone of Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme. Across these jurisdictions we are proud to be delivering a convenient, accessible and technology-based network of return points that allows Australians to easily participate in their state’s container deposit scheme.
