ACT government looks to expand container deposit scheme

The government will consult next year on its expansion, as states and territories commit to standardising the scheme across jurisdictions.

City Services Minister Chris Steel said states and territories had agreed to harmonise container types, refund amounts, labelling and community education by 2025.

Mr Steel said the ACT had one of the highest redemption rates in the country for containers, alongside South Australia.

"Expanding the types of containers that are eligible to redeem a deposit will see more containers go on to be recycled and remanufactured," he said.

Mr Steel has made the announcement to kick off National Recycling Week, which starts on Monday.

The ACT Container Deposit Scheme Impact Calculator has also been launched in conjunction with National Recycling Week.

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The interactive tool provides users with a sum of water, energy and landfill saved through their use of the scheme.

Mr Steel said the calculator allows people to see how their efforts to reduce waste can have a positive impact on saving precious resources.

He said Canberrans had already recycled more than 366 million cans and bottles since the introduction of the container deposit scheme in 2018.

"We want to encourage greater participation in the scheme by expanding what can be redeemed," he said.

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