The Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR) today welcomed the announcement of a mid-2025 commencement date for Tasmania’s Recycle Rewards container deposit scheme (CDS).
“The commencement of Tasmania’s Recycle Rewards program will be the final piece in the puzzle meaning, once operational, CDS will span all Australian states and territories,” WMRR Chief Executive Officer Gayle Sloan said.
“The scheme’s commencement will be great news for the community, the environment and the economy by reducing litter, increasing recycling rates and creating another high-quality stream of inputs into Australian remanufacturing,” she said.
“WMRR is fully supportive of polluter pays schemes like CDS as it rightly places funding in the system to assist with the cost of managing these materials at end of life. This scheme, and the funding it brings, is great news for Tasmania as we know from experience elsewhere it creates local jobs and local investment that industry can build on.
“As we move towards improving packaging nationally, it would be terrific to see the nation’s container deposit schemes progress further to include other elements of producer responsibility, including design requirements for improved recyclability and a required percentage of Australian recycled content. These elements are crucial for both creating local demand for these collected containers, as well as building confidence in investing in local remanufacturing capacity in Australia.
“WMRR congratulates TasRecycle Limited, announced as scheme coordinator, and TOMRA Cleanaway as network operator, as well as the Tasmanian Government and the Tasmanian Waste and Resource Recovery Board for progressing the CDS in the state. Both these operators have extensive experience in delivering successful schemes.
“We also welcome the investment in Tasmania of $3.5 million across 20 projects from the state’s High Priority Infrastructure Grant Program which is reinvesting dollars back into the entire waste management hierarchy from funds collected by the waste levy.
“Placing a price on valuable material – be it landfill or beverage containers – drives change. Tasmania has never seen so much WARR investment, which is crucial to helping it meet its sustainability and climate targets. Well done to all involved!”
ABOUT WMRR
The Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR) is the national peak body representing Australia’s $17 billion waste and resource recovery (WARR) industry. With more than 2,200 members from over 400 entities nationwide, we represent the breadth and depth of the sector, including representation from business organisations, the three (3) tiers of government, universities, and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs), including research bodies.
In Queensland, WMRR represents over 380 individual members from more than 50 entities.
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