A national campaign is pushing to double the refund on bottles and cans from 10 cents to 20 cents, as Tasmania’s own container scheme passes 100 million returns.
The ’20 Cents Makes Sense’ campaign, backed by packaging giant Pact Group and environmental organisations, argues the current incentive is no longer effective.
Adjusted for inflation, the 10-cent refund is now worth roughly 6.5 cents.
Australia’s container deposit schemes have an average return rate of just 68% nationwide – behind Germany’s 90%, where the equivalent refund is about 40 cents.
An estimated 4.23 billion containers still end up in landfill or the environment nationally each year.
“By increasing the refund amount from 10 cents to 20 cents, we can drastically improve the number of containers we recycle and position Australia as a global leader in the circular economy,” Pact’s Simon Dowding said.
Reloop Pacific director Robert Kelman said the value of the refund had been eroded over time.
South Australia has offered the same 10-cent refund since 2008, with most other states adopting it between 2012 and 2023.
Tasmania’s Recycle Rewards scheme, which launched just 11 months ago, inherited the same rate.
“Increasing the refund to 20 cents is a proven solution that will not only dramatically boost return rates but also put more money directly into the pockets of everyday Australians, charities and community groups,” Kelman said.
Research by Redbridge found 85% of Australian adults support the increase, with 84% saying they would recycle more.
Boomerang Alliance director Jeff Angel said consumers who return their containers would get the full deposit back, making the increase cost-neutral.
The campaign is calling on all states and territories to move together and commit to regular, inflation-linked reviews.
More than 100 million containers have been returned through Tasmania’s scheme since its launch in May 2025, putting $10 million back into the community.
Environment Minister Madeleine Ogilvie last month said reaching the milestone within 10 months showed Tasmanians had embraced the scheme.
