Container Deposit Scheme Campaign Notes - evp sem 3

The Campaign for a Container Deposit Scheme (CDS)

Plastic: The Big Push

  • Plastic is beneficial in some applications.
  • It becomes problematic when used for short-term purposes and littered.

The Move to Plastic

  • 1978: Ian Pausacker's book, ‘Recycling: is it the Solution for Australia?’ warned about the increasing shift to plastic containers from paperboard or glass.
  • Producers were planning to further increase the use of plastics in packaging, including plastic pouches for liquids, plastic-coated glass bottles, plastic refuse bags, plastic milk bottles, plastic aerosol containers, and plastic bottles for carbonated beverages and beer.

Focus on Litter and Waste

  • The primary concern was litter and waste, as plastic persists for a very long time.
  • Cooks River in 2012: Hundreds of plastic bottles and rubbish were seen floating.
  • Groups like the Cooks River Valley Association and The Mudcrabs joined the Boomerang Alliance to advocate for a 10-cent levy on bottles and cans to reduce waterway pollution.
  • Clean Up Australia chief executive Ian Kiernan supported the refund scheme and urged the NSW government to take action, suggesting they introduce the scheme with Victoria.
  • It was estimated that over 25 billion drink containers had been landfilled or littered in NSW.

Key Components of a Campaign

  • Goal: Persuade the government to make a decision and pass a law.
    • Gather facts about the problem and solution.
    • Convert these facts into clear messages for the community, businesses, and decision-makers.
    • Mobilize the community to pressure Members of Parliament (MPs).
    • Enrol more support over time through media, public events, meetings, and litter clean-ups.
    • Expand support to non-environmental groups, such as charities.
    • Directly lobby government ministers.
    • Counteract powerful insider lobbying and public relations campaigns by opponents.
    • Persistence is crucial because the political system often deflects, delays, or obstructs progress.

The Long Campaign (1)

  • 1975: South Australia was the only state to maintain refunds, as all other states closed their schemes.
    • A Federal Parliamentary Inquiry supported a tax on all bottles without a refund/return arrangement.
  • 1980/90s: The packaging industry promoted and funded litter education advertising (e.g., ‘Do the right thing’’).
    • They established a voluntary packaging covenant.
    • Community and local council campaigns for a CDS failed.
  • 2004-05: The National Packaging Covenant (NPC) was being renewed.
    • The NPC was the industry's alternative to regulation, such as a CDS.
    • The Boomerang Alliance fought for targets and succeeded, but the NPC was ineffective.
    • Ministers were warned a CDS could be imminent.
    • Boomerang Alliance membership consisted of 10 groups.
  • 2008: In Western Australia, the Labor government promised a CDS after a positive taskforce but was voted out.
    • The drinks industry conducted an effective insider and public campaign against it.
  • Mid-2010: Environment ministers met in Darwin under federal minister Peter Garrett and agreed to a national study, the first of three.
  • 24 Feb 2011: The Northern Territory Parliament unanimously passed its CD law, which started in 2012.
  • Dec 2012: Coca-Cola, Lion, and Schweppes challenged the law in the Federal Court and won, resulting in a delay.
  • Feb 2013: Queensland signed up to the National Bin Network, the industry’s latest alternative to a CDS, just before environment ministers met to discuss a national regulatory impact statement on options to address beverage and other litter.

The Long Campaign (2)

  • Mid-2013: Victorian Premier Napthine endorsed a national CDS and continued to push for it.
    • The possibility of joint NSW/Vic action emerged.
    • By the Victorian election of Nov 2014, he lost courage due to bad polls and industry threats to campaign on the consumer cost impacts of a CDS.
  • 21 Feb 2015: NSW Premier Baird announced his election policy to implement a container deposit system by 1 July 2017 (later 1 December 2017).
    • However, his media release allowed the industry to propose a ‘better alternative’.
    • The industry proposed ‘’Thirst for Good’’– more bins and some charity support for picking up litter.
  • 2015 Qld election: A Labor minority government was elected and began implementing its policy to investigate a CDS.
    • The scheme started at the end of 2018, with bipartisan support.
  • December 2015: The latest Commonwealth study rejected a national CDS, requiring each state to act independently.
  • 8 May 2016: The NSW Government announced a full-scale CDS, discarding the industry's alternative.
    • Return and Earn started in December 2017.
  • 11 March 2017: Western Australia elected a Labor government with a CDS policy.
  • Nov 2018: Queensland began its CDS.
  • 2020: Western Australia started its CDS.
  • 2021: Tasmania announced a CDS, starting on 1 May 2025.
    • Victoria began its CDS on 1 Nov 2023.
  • Boomerang Alliance now includes 55 groups.
    • It adopted a broader campaign goal: ‘reduce plastic pollution of our waterways by 70% by 2025’.

Political Threats from the Beverage Industry

  • Catherine Cusack, NSW MLC, recounted being approached by Kate Carnell from the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC).
    • Carnell conveyed that if there were any indication Cusack's side of politics would support container deposit legislation, her members would fund a massive campaign against the Liberal and National parties in the 2011 election.
    • Lion Nathan was reportedly prepared to commit 4million4 million to this campaign.
    • Cusack was shocked by this threat and alerted her colleagues.

Rebranding by Industry: It's a Tax!

  • The industry attempted to rebrand the CDS as a tax rather than an environmental protection measure.
  • They used terms like