Does the SA/NT 10 cent refund scheme reduce pollution?

[old man emu]

I was pouring my grandson a fruit juice drink from a 250ml Tetra-Pak container recently, when I noticed this message printed on the container:

 

"10C refund at SA/NT collection depots in State/Territory of purchase."

 

When I had emptied the container, I put it in our recycling bin, I wondered how people in South Australia and the Northern Territory handled their empty containers. Is it worth the effort to have a separate rubbish bin for drink containers and then haul the filled bin off to a collection depot?

 

I also wonder who is scoring the money from all the containers that are just thrown into general recycling bins. The container I poured from was one of eight in a package, so there's 80 cents that would have to be paid by a consumer in SA/NT.

 

Is this scheme economically viable for the operators of collection depots?

 

Has the implementation of the scheme produced a measurable reduction in street litter and/or landfill?

 

Old Man Emu

 

 

[coljones]

The NSW Liberals approve so it must be OK - you don't go out and antagonise your financial supporters just for kicks. Keep Australia Beautiful (A CocaCola front) doesn't support it though.

 

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-state-election-2015/nsw-premier-mike-baird-announces-2017-start-date-for-cash-for-cans-20150220-13k9gj.html

 

 

[PA.]

The 10 cent refund works very well here in sunny South Oz. You do not see a can or bottle or flavoured milk carton anywhere except in the bags on bikes and in shopping trolleys being taken to the recycling depots. How else do you think people can afford to fly in the Unemployed State? Been going for years, originally at 5 cents.

 

 

 

[flyerme]

YES. Just drive from SA in to VIC.... Bottles every 5 meters in vic where in SA there's a pilot sporting a henssion bag every 5 meters on a bike or scooter collecting his fuel money...... I prefer the scooter ;)

 

 

[old man emu]

I must say that getting 10c for every container is better than the $17 for three large garbage bags of crushed aluminium cans I got earlier this year in Sydney.

 

How does the money go around? The manufacturer add 10c per container to the wholesale price. The retailer repays the manufacturer and adds 10c per container for retail. The consumer repays the retailer 10c at time of purchase and the depot pays the collector 10c. Who pays the depot?

 

Do you have to set up a sorting station in your home for recycling?

 

How easy is it to get to a buy-back depot?

 

If this idea was taken up in NSW and Victoria, and knowing the entrepreneurial mentality of certain ethnic groups, I can see an explosion in the number 457 visa applications.

 

OME

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Long ago at a speedway event in SA we noticed a kid patiently waiting for us to finish our drinks. There was no litter and kids got to learn the value of a dollar.

 

 

[flyerme]

Just remove lids from bottles, then bottles cartons , and cans , throw them all in a wool pack, when full take them to any recycling plant ( 2 local) they sort them as they count them .. Very easy.

 

 

[PA.]

No idea whats happens to the 10¢ that's not collected but it's worth it to have the cleanest state in Australia. Now we just need to get a 10¢ deposit on dog turds.

 

 

[ben87r]

When I lived in Canada it worked very well indeed, but to be honest that was mainly due to the amount of homeless. I always took my bottles back to the bottle shop for a refund there one because it was easy as I was already going there, secondly because of my outrage of paying C$50ish for a cartoon of beer in the mid 2000's I wanted every cent returned....

 

When I was living in "Sunny" SA, we never did it once mainly because I had no idea where to take them and the local bottlo certainly did not accept their return so we used to throw them in the yellow bin. What I did see was this little Asian fella, (I was living in the northern suburbs) who was apparently retired and a pensioner going around and collecting bottles that people had put beside the bin for him on his morning walk, he was fairly well know for doing it and we started doing the same. The fella would have been the best part of 100 years old and kept him fit as and topped up his pension!

 

 

[Marty_d]

It's a bloody fantastic idea and should be introduced everywhere. As Coljones said though, Coca-cola lobby heavily against it. (Not sure why, if people will pay $4 for a 600ml Coke now, they won't cavil at another 10 cents).

 

 

[Litespeed]

I reckon it is a great idea and coke can get stuffed as far as I am concerned.

 

Aluminium is a huge polluter in manufacture from a raw material but very cheap to re-manufacture.

 

As is glass, Coke has a hide when they charge almost twice the price if it comes in glass.

 

 

[planesmaker]

If only we had it for McD & KFC etc boxes and wrappers. Our town is a mess since they came to town

 

 

[pmccarthy]

:rofl:It might stop all you open cockpit boys from throwing out empty stubbies as you go along!

 

 

[Marty_d]

If only we had it for McD & KFC etc boxes and wrappers. Our town is a mess since they came to town

At least they use cardboard for their boxes now. Remember the old polystyrene ones?

 

 

[Bruce]

Every time I see that 10 cents notice I think about how it proves South Australia is less corrupt than the other states. Not that 10 cents is enough and it doesn't cover enough things, like fast-food packaging.I was really surprised when the NT did it too. But if you compared the bottles litter in aboriginal places on both sides of the border you will see the answer to OME's question.

 

AND you sure could make a case for it being economically viable. But you can bet the packaging billionaires will be fighting all the way and paying for "studies" to say the opposite . Like studies to say how a bottle is much bigger and heavier when it is empty, so the delivery vehicles couldn't possibly have empties backloads.

 

 

[eightyknots]

...

 

How does the money go around? The manufacturer add 10c per container to the wholesale price. The retailer repays the manufacturer and adds 10c per container for retail. The consumer repays the retailer 10c at time of purchase and the depot pays the collector 10c. Who pays the depot?

 

...

Here's an idea for arbitrage:

 

If you live in Broken Hill, NSW, you get the goods without the 10 cent loading and then, next time you need to go over the border to SA, you take a bootload with you and get the money to help you pay for your trip.

 

 

[old man emu]

It's not arbitrage, it's "Obtain Financial Benefit by Deception" which is a crime. Unless you are a Parliamentary, then it's a "lapse of judgement".

 

OME

 

 

[Marty_d]

Here's an idea for arbitrage:

If you live in Broken Hill, NSW, you get the goods without the 10 cent loading and then, next time you need to go over the border to SA, you take a bootload with you and get the money to help you pay for your trip.

At 10c a bottle you'd want a bloody big boot to make it worthwhile... and nowhere left for your luggage!

 

 

[eightyknots]

At 10c a bottle you'd want a bloody big boot to make it worthwhile... and nowhere left for your luggage!

Perhaps you may wish to use the Zenith skyjeep instead? That will give a nice excuse to go for a good fly!

 

 

[Litespeed]

What take a load to SA and bringing back cash?

 

I thought the idea was bring in a load from SA and get lots of cash in NSW

 

 

[old man emu]

What take a load to SA and bringing back cash? I thought the idea was bring in a load from SA and get lots of cash in NSW

A good operator always arranges back-loading. Just watch out for those official-looking people when you land. They may not be from CASA for a ramp inspection. The guns, body armour and blue lights are a give away.

 

OME

 

 

[pmccarthy]

I would try it but I haven't got the bottle.