Statement - Labor’s container deposit scheme in disarray

Statement – Labor’s container deposit scheme in disarray

James Newbury, Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change

27 October 2023.

Despite Victoria’s recycling chain collapsing five years ago, the State Labor Government’s proposed container deposit scheme is in disarray.

With Victoria years behind other states, the Labor Government belatedly committed to introduce a container deposit scheme, with a promised commencement date of 1 November 2023.

The scheme rollout should have included up to 600 consumer collection points and arrangements for commercial businesses to drop off their large scale container collections.

Yet with the scheme starting in just five days, only 1 of 600 expected consumer collection sites have been confirmed and Labor has no strategy to ensure that businesses, such as pubs and clubs, have a commercial point of collection.

Shadow Minister for Environment, James Newbury, said: “Victoria’s container deposit scheme is in disarray because Labor has badly mismanaged the policy.

“The key legislation enabling the scheme is still in the Parliament despite the scheme commencing in five days. Environmentally minded Victorians should be angry with Labor for mismanaging yet another important policy.”

James Newbury, Shadow Minister for Environment