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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: sol on February 22, 2015, 01:54:43 PM

Title: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: sol on February 22, 2015, 01:54:43 PM
I'm just cooling down with a nice cold beer after mowing the lawn. After finishing the first can I was reading the fine print ( only had one so far) and there it says "10c refund at SA/NT collection depots in state / territory of purchase". The question I ask is why don't all states do the same thing? It may stop a lot of cans and bottles left at campsites around the country. Does anyone know if it makes a difference in SA or NT?

      :cheers:
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: KingBilly on February 22, 2015, 01:57:27 PM
I don't think a 10 cent refund on a can or bottle would stop the knobs leaving them all over the bush unfortunately ;D.

KB
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: JD-120 on February 22, 2015, 01:58:03 PM
 The cans in sa and nt probably say refund only available in qld and wa ;)
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: gclan on February 22, 2015, 02:01:24 PM
NSW is getting on board in 2017
http://www.theherald.com.au/story/2897838/cash-for-cans-scheme-gets-green-light/?cs=305 (http://www.theherald.com.au/story/2897838/cash-for-cans-scheme-gets-green-light/?cs=305)
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: rossm on February 22, 2015, 02:11:53 PM
I'm just cooling down with a nice cold beer after mowing the lawn. After finishing the first can I was reading the fine print ( only had one so far) and there it says "10c refund at SA/NT collection depots in state / territory of purchase". The question I ask is why don't all states do the same thing? It may stop a lot of cans and bottles left at campsites around the country. Does anyone know if it makes a difference in SA or NT?

      :cheers:

They have had drink container deposit Legislation in SA, and much less litter, for decades.

I believe they are moving that way in NSW. NT tried but the drink lobby won.

The idea bobs up in WA every year or so but big business rules  and it never gets beyond talking.

Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: theins on February 22, 2015, 02:20:49 PM
I don't think a 10 cent refund on a can or bottle would stop the knobs leaving them all over the bush unfortunately ;D.

KB

Seems to work in other states (countries as well - Germany for example has a refund system on all bottles), wish they would introduce it in VIC...

Might not stop the knobs, but usually attracts some thrifty people to pick up bottles to claim the refund.. End result is the same - less rubbish out there...
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: GeoffA on February 22, 2015, 02:38:39 PM
Seems to work in other states (countries as well - Germany for example has a refund system on all bottles), wish they would RE-introduce it in VIC...

We had a refund system, but it was scrapped with the introduction of plastic/alloy containers.

Might not stop the knobs, but usually attracts some thrifty people to pick up bottles to claim the refund.. End result is the same - less rubbish out there...

Spot on there, theins.... :cup:
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: Hewy54 on February 22, 2015, 03:02:58 PM
Definitely works. Vast majority of people take their refundables with them and the ones that get left are picked up by others. We even have some thrifty people who go for walks along main roads and pick up cans and bottles.
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: geopaj on February 22, 2015, 03:12:37 PM
[
I don't think a 10 cent refund on a can or bottle would stop the knobs leaving them all over the bush unfortunately ;D.

KB

quote author=theins link=topic=41960.msg696778#msg696778 date=1424578849]
Might not stop the knobs, but usually attracts some thrifty people to pick up bottles to claim the refund.. End result is the same - less rubbish out there...
[/quote]

Theins, your exactly right. This is what happens in SA.
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: marvellous_matt on February 22, 2015, 03:54:25 PM
I watched it be introduced a few years ago here in NT, then suspended, now on again. Its not a magic solution, however it does make a noticeable difference. AND the other week I dropped all of ours off and got enough for a slab of beer! gotta love that. We dont have curb side collection, we can do a fair bit of recycling however it all involves packing it in the car and driving some place to drop it off(other glass, paper cardboard, metal)
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: dales133 on February 22, 2015, 04:11:03 PM
They did it in NZ when I was a kid and the scouts did bottle drives and kids scrounged them up for Pocket money.
We used to do pretty good cashing them in.now it's the same as here....bottles and cans everywhere
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: ATC on February 22, 2015, 04:27:41 PM
Yars ago a guy I worked with who lived in SA brought his small Aluminium boat & trailer with pocket money he saved from collecting cans & bottles from work, side of road etc...

Me I'm in favor of it, and at 10c a piece will soon add up into a replacement slab / bottle.

Beverage companies - suck it up and support the efforts in getting your packaging litter off the streets / bush.
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: evans52 on February 22, 2015, 04:29:51 PM
Use to be 5c. When it went up, some hard off people doubled their supplement income. Some kids doubled their pocket money.

I work in Mental Health and have a Client who rides his 3 wheel pushy with a trailer along the highway doing a round trip through various towns (100km's odd) once a month. He does it in a day. He works 30 hours a week also. He makes more collecting bottle and cans doing this trip and around town than he does through his employer.
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: BadSeed on February 22, 2015, 04:35:52 PM
We used to collect them from building sites when we were kids.  ;D

It would never take off in WA, the abhorrent Colon Barnett despises the environment.
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: Garfish on February 22, 2015, 05:42:37 PM
Went for an interview the other day at a company that makes aluminium cans, and they mentioned that approx 50% of cans are recycled.  Interesting process how you make cans, just like pottery, just stretch the aluminium dusk to a can shape.  Which is why the sides are thinner


I miss the old glass bottles that you could return for money.
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: Azz on February 22, 2015, 05:46:37 PM
In Japan they have a scheme for plastic drink bottles, when you return them into a vending machine, you get credit for public transport tickets.
Public transport in Japan is amazing.
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: Nay-DMAX on February 22, 2015, 05:55:57 PM
In Japan they have a scheme for plastic drink bottles, when you return them into a vending machine, you get credit for public transport tickets.
Public transport in Japan is amazing.

I think this is similar to what the machines in NSW were being trialled for??  I wish they would bring it in to Vic too.
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: KingBilly on February 22, 2015, 06:06:03 PM
Use to be 5c. When it went up, some hard off people doubled their supplement income. Some kids doubled their pocket money.

I work in Mental Health and have a Client who rides his 3 wheel pushy with a trailer along the highway doing a round trip through various towns (100km's odd) once a month. He does it in a day. He works 30 hours a week also. He makes more collecting bottle and cans doing this trip and around town than he does through his employer.

30 hours at a wage of $12 per hour less 20% tax = $288.
To make that $288 from collecting bottles and cans @ 10 cents would require finding and transporting 2880 cans/bottles per week.
Not a bad effort on a pushie.

KB
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: macca on February 22, 2015, 06:18:58 PM
The vending machines are coming and will spread all the country I know guys involved in SA and they have been to places like Denmark and Iceland where recycling is done properly. Just have a look at how well off the SA scouts are, don't think our scouts own basketball stadiums etc
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: evans52 on February 22, 2015, 06:36:22 PM
30 hours at a wage of $12 per hour less 20% tax = $288.
To make that $288 from collecting bottles and cans @ 10 cents would require finding and transporting 2880 cans/bottles per week.
Not a bad effort on a pushie.

KB

His pay is around $6 an hour- Disability Employer. I've tried to stop him for the safety factor. Road trains a plenty around my way, but he won't listen. Owns his house. Doesn't watch TV, doesn't drink, smoke or do drugs and he does cart wheels out the front of the Pub on a Saturday night. Good Bloke.
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: fisher on February 22, 2015, 07:40:59 PM
Container deposit legislation (CDL) was introduced into SA in 1977, and since that time SA has had the lowest litter rate of beverage containers in the country.  Currently, less than 2% of litter in SA are beverage containers whereas WA is up around 8-9%.  CDL is a proven litter reduction strategy - it does work.  When those knobs leave them in the bush, someone will pick them up and get their 10 cents.  Return rates for beverage containers in SA is around 80%.  Aluminium is higher again, well over 90% in SA.

The beverage container companies - particularly the major ones - hate it with a passion and go to long lengths to oppose it.  You can be sure that the NSW Govt is under a lot of pressure from those companies to not introduce it.  90% of the population want it - all political parties in SA support it because they can see the benefits to the community.
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: duggie on February 22, 2015, 07:42:50 PM
The consumer must pay surely , the 10 cent fee must be added to the retail price first for them to pay the 10 cents when returned.  ??? ??? ??? ??? ???
 If that is so that would mean that if introduced in Queensland it would cost me another 3 dollars per 30 pack.  >:( >:( Bugger that , grog is dear enough already. :'( :'(
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: rossm on February 22, 2015, 07:47:56 PM
The consumer must pay surely , the 10 cent fee must be added to the retail price first for them to pay the 10 cents when returned.  ??? ??? ??? ??? ???
 If that is so that would mean that if introduced in Queensland it would cost me another 3 dollars per 30 pack.  >:( >:( Bugger that , grog is dear enough already. :'( :'(

Nothing stopping you claiming the deposit back yourself. Or if you have kids put them in charge and cut back their pocket money!

Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: Ratbag on February 22, 2015, 07:58:07 PM
I'm just cooling down with a nice cold beer after mowing the lawn. After finishing the first can I was reading the fine print ( only had one so far) and there it says "10c refund at SA/NT collection depots in state / territory of purchase". The question I ask is why don't all states do the same thing? It may stop a lot of cans and bottles left at campsites around the country. Does anyone know if it makes a difference in SA or NT?

      :cheers:
Yeah, Sol, it did. A huge difference. I lived there when it was introduced and for some years afterwards.
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: sol on February 22, 2015, 08:07:02 PM
I know the last time we went to Reedybrook, one of the fire places we pulled up beside had 37 cans thrown in there and left to burn ???
37x10 = $3.70. Doesn't sound much to us but the kids could make a few bucks going around picking up after the low life's have left.

      :cheers:
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: dales133 on February 22, 2015, 08:13:42 PM
I don't think many would oppose  paying 10 cents more a bottle or can.i throw my cans in recycling I could just as easy throw them in something else and take them down the bottle shop once a month and get a slab for half price or so
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: JCOJ on February 22, 2015, 08:55:35 PM
I think it is a great idea!  We have two old style rubbish bins and when they're full off to the recycling depot we go. Gives us about $50 back.
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: dales133 on February 22, 2015, 08:56:59 PM
Yea isn't that much hassle, I hate throwing anything away that can be reused
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: theins on February 22, 2015, 08:58:47 PM
Yea isn't that much hassle, I hate throwing anything away that can be reused

X2
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: Marschy on February 22, 2015, 09:30:39 PM
Nah it doesn't work.

10, 20, 30, 40, 50..... About $20 there in bag 1 of 2. We usually fill two of these and get close to $70.00 about every 3 months.

Anyone who doesn't support this, quite frankly has their heads up their bum. How can this not be a good thing for the environment, pensioners, kids earning a bit of pocket money, jobs, the homeless (who a great many depend on recycling to just live). I pass a women on the way to work every morning pushing a shopping trolley full of cans heading for the recycling station on Churchill Road. She has more cans than what could fill two of these two full bags every day.
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: monbeg on February 22, 2015, 10:12:42 PM
Agree Marschy.
We have a spare sulo bin and that usually comes just over $40 a time.
I notice you haven't squashed them, we squash everything flat.
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: Marschy on February 22, 2015, 10:20:28 PM
Agree Marschy.
We have a spare sulo bin and that usually comes just over $40 a time.
I notice you haven't squashed them, we squash everything flat.
Just to keep the weight down, no other reason. My wife quite often takes my daughter down to the recycling station to cash them in. If they are squashed down and still fill the bag, the bag gets too heavy for her. And if she injures herself, who is going to mow the lawn?
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: rossm on February 22, 2015, 10:34:43 PM
Just to keep the weight down, no other reason. My wife quite often takes my daughter down to the recycling station to cash them in. If they are squashed down and still fill the bag, the bag gets too heavy for her. And if she injures herself, who is going to mow the lawn?

HOw do they work out the refund? when I lived in Adelaide in the 80s drank mostly stubbies so I just pack em back in the carton.

You look to have a mixed bag there. Do they count them?

Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: Pog on February 22, 2015, 10:55:47 PM
Yep, they count each can / bottle at the recycling centre, and give you 10 cents for each one...

My last visit was nearly $400 for just under a years worth of cans & bottles. (Ute &trailer load).

It is a great system, and yes, whilst the cost of a carton goes up, you get to claim it back when you recycle.

The system is a no brainer, and whilst SA is often laughed at for being backwards, this is defiately 1 area (and in all honesty the only area) where we are leading the country.
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: #jonesy on February 23, 2015, 05:10:17 AM
So do you pay 10c more for each to start with?

Why do the container companies hate it?  Wouldn't they have to melt down instead of starting from scratch?
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: nic0 on February 23, 2015, 06:35:16 AM
When i was growing up in SA me and my mates would go around collecting bottles on our bikes and cash them in at the local deli for a bag of mixed lollies
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: Marschy on February 23, 2015, 06:36:01 AM
The system is a no brainer, and whilst SA is often laughed at for being backwards, this is defiately 1 area (and in all honesty the only area) where we are leading the country.
What about unemployment?
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: dales133 on February 23, 2015, 06:50:48 AM
Unemployment would be minimal and collateral damage for a better environmental practice.im sure almost as many jobs would be created.
After all it dosn't generate jobs wasting bottles and cans
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: Marschy on February 23, 2015, 07:04:21 AM
Unemployment would be minimal and collateral damage for a better environmental practice.im sure almost as many jobs would be created.
After all it dosn't generate jobs wasting bottles and cans
Sorry, poor attempt at humour.

The recycling depot's don't generate a lot of employment, but they do employ people throughout SA. This picture is pretty typical of our Recycling centres for cans and bottles.
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: dales133 on February 23, 2015, 07:09:25 AM
Cool...sorry missed the humor!
I'm sure some enterprising person could make a supplementary income collecting bottles and cans from people for a percentage of the 10 cents.if you had a minimum pick up amount and a small truck you'd have to be able to make some money if you had collection days for an era and minimum amounts.im lazy enough to pay someone part of my 10 cents
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: tk421 on February 23, 2015, 07:15:18 AM
The question I ask is why don't all states do the same thing? It may stop a lot of cans and bottles left at campsites around the country. Does anyone know if it makes a difference in SA or NT?

      :cheers:

When NT govt trialled it recycling rate for beverage containers reportedly doubled to 33% (acfonline.org.au)

The consumer must pay surely , the 10 cent fee must be added to the retail price first for them to pay the 10 cents when returned.  ??? ??? ??? ??? ???
 If that is so that would mean that if introduced in Queensland it would cost me another 3 dollars per 30 pack.  >:( >:( Bugger that , grog is dear enough already. :'( :'(

Yes. But you get the $3:30 returned to you if you return all the containers. Net cost to you =$0.00

The reason drinks companies don't want it is they know it puts their price up a little bit and this means demand will drop just a little bit. CocaCola Amatil pumps out 560mllion unit cases a year (roughly 5.3billion 600ml bottles). Even just a 0.5pc drop in demand affects the companies when operating at that scale.

Tell the pollies you want it and you won't vote for them unless they support it. Their self interests should win over pressure.


Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: Marschy on February 23, 2015, 07:22:49 AM
Cool...sorry missed the humor!
I'm sure some enterprising person could make a sublime try income collecting bottles and cans from people for a percentage of the 10 cents.if you had a minimum pick up amount and a small truck you'd have to be able to make some money if you had collection days for an era and minimum amounts.im lazy enough to pay someone part of my 10 cents
This used to be the case many years ago when cans and bottles only had a value of 5 cents. The depots themselves would only pay a portion of the 5 cent refund to the collector, but they disappeared as eventually the economy didn't make it profitable. I haven't seen any companies like this pop up again since the value increased to 10 cents. All depots now pay the full refund, so they must be funded by the government to some degree or by the value of each can actually being worth more than 10 cents in scrap weight to make it profitable for them.
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: Diesel Power on February 23, 2015, 08:20:28 AM
We won't have it in  QLD! We're too slow to catch on to anything like this.
I used to make a killing in pocket money off the shearers when we had the farm.
Regards
Angus.
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: FNQBunyip on February 23, 2015, 08:34:14 AM
As a lad working on stations in outback SA , I would collect old bottles from all the old dump sites behind homesteads and shearers quarters and from campsites from the fencers .. I save most of the money for my first ute from returning trailer loads of empty echos and king browns..

It should happen in all states ..

cheers
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: KingBilly on February 23, 2015, 08:40:05 AM
We won't have it in  QLD! We're too slow to catch on to anything like this.
I used to make a killing in pocket money off the shearers when we had the farm.
Regards
Angus.

Had it in Qld years ago.  Think plastic soft drink bottles killed it.  They should have kept it going and just included the plastic bottles  >:(

KB
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: macca on February 23, 2015, 09:18:00 AM
The new vending machines they are trialing identify each type of container and give a credit accordingly. The credits can be redeemed at supermarkets etc
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: fisher on February 23, 2015, 11:35:07 AM
depots now pay the full refund, so they must be funded by the government to some degree or by the value of each can actually being worth more than 10 cents in scrap weight to make it profitable for them.

The government doesn't contribute financially to the scheme at all.  It administers the scheme, basically to ensure all beverages sold in SA are approved for sale.  Depots must pay the 10c, and then there is an arrangement re scrap value - but independent of govt.

When industry used to have refillable bottles they would pay 20c to have those returned to be refilled.  It suited them then to pay for a refund scheme, but since the introduction of single use containers they have really stepped away from it.  We all see beverage prices fluctuate wildly week in week out.  At times your carton of beer - on sale - will be $3-$5 or more cheaper than normal.  Its a hard call to say that 10c is added to the cost of each container, but it is not in all cases (in actual fact its higher than that, because the depots get a handling fee of 3 to 5 cents for each container as well).  In theory consumers will be paying 15c for each container.  Quite often the cost is amortised across Australia for national products.

But it works - less litter and more efficiency in the recycling of old containers rather than sending them to landfill or litter.
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: pajamajero on February 23, 2015, 04:34:03 PM
I think it has been good for SA. Combine the recycling of cans (and other containers) with strong littering laws that were introduced along with public education campaigns targeting litter and the results have been impressive. As an ex Croweater it was amazing to drive on regional roads in SA and not see rubbish along the roadside.
The deposit system has generated jobs in the recycling area and income for individuals, clubs and businesses prepared to get involved.

One sad side is the sight of old age pensioners in the city and major shopping centers wandering around going through rubbish bins for cans, usually pushing some kind of trolley to put the booty in. Income is income I guess.

Cheers

Alan 
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: Azz on February 24, 2015, 11:54:24 AM
I decided to take some action, I have put a post on Facebook with my Federal & State members tagged, lets see if all the noise we hear about stuff going everywhere is really true.
Reading everyones posts, the majority are in favour of the sort of thing being national.

https://www.facebook.com/Azzzz/posts/10152559337387330?notif_t=like (https://www.facebook.com/Azzzz/posts/10152559337387330?notif_t=like)
Title: Re: 10c Refund on Empty Cans and Bottles
Post by: Elky on February 24, 2015, 02:34:18 PM
When i was growing up in SA me and my mates would go around collecting bottles on our bikes and cash them in at the local deli for a bag of mixed lollies

Yep same, born in Adelaide and you could get 5c for a can and 20c for a glass bottle, we did alright for kids! When I was 14 we came to qld and I saw a ad on tv about recycling cans and they spruiked "50c a kilo for cans!" I quickly did the maths in my head and concluded that was a rip off and qld are way behind the times

I reckon if your goin thru nt or sa taking a sack of cans could be quite lucrative, squashing them to fit will allow for even more beers at rest time!