West Australians will receive a 10 cent refund on recyclable cans and bottles under a scheme to be introduced by the State Government in 2018.

Key points: Scheme will apply to some drink containers between 150mL-3L

Scheme will apply to some drink containers between 150mL-3L Similar schemes already in place or planned in four states

Similar schemes already in place or planned in four states Move will reduce litter, Keep Australia Beautiful WA says

After years of resisting calls for a container deposit scheme, the Barnett Government said it planned to use recycling depots and reverse vending machines to deliver the refunds, with 10 cents added to the initial cost of the drinks.

While South Australia has a long-standing container deposit scheme, the move sees WA join other states like New South Wales in planning a similar system.

Queenslanders will also able to collect cash for returning bottles and cans for recycling from mid-2018.

"The Government is now confident that what we are proposing will be strongly endorsed by the public of Western Australia, and will be successful in reducing litter and also in providing an incentive for recycling," Premier Colin Barnett said.

The scheme will apply to certain empty drink containers ranging in size from 150 millilitres to three litres.

It targets containers normally consumed away from the home such as soft drink cans and bottles, bottled water and beer bottles and cans.

However, it excludes domestically consumed drink containers such wine and spirit bottles, milk containers and juice containers.

"This has a strong focus on roadside litter, on park-side litter, on beach litter," Environment Minister Albert Jacob said.

Government previously dismissed scheme

Mr Jacob acknowledged WA Labor had proposed a similar recycling scheme in 2011, one the Government did not support.

He said the Government was then already engaged in discussions with the Commonwealth and other state governments to pursue a national container deposit scheme.

"That has since fallen by the wayside, but other states such as Queensland and New South Wales have since announced they will pursue state-wide container deposit schemes, and we seek to align Western Australia's with those that are coming online," he said.

Labor has welcomed the scheme, but said it was long overdue and the Government should have supported its proposal five years ago.



Reverse vending machines offer boost

Changing technology has provided some of the momentum for the change, with the advent of reverse vending machines making deposit refunds simpler and more accessible.

Albert Jacob says the recycling scheme will align WA with other states. ( ABC News: Andrew O'Connor )

"So a reverse vending machine works exactly like a normal vending machine," Mr Jacob said.

"The only difference is it takes an empty bottle or can, reads the bar code and for all of those bottles and cans which you place into that vending machine, it reimburses an amount of money on 10 cents per container."

The chairman of Keep Australia Beautiful WA, Michael Aspinall, believes the government's proposed deposit scheme will boost efforts to reduce littering.

"I think the timing is right for this. We've seen what has happened in the Northern Territory. We've seen what's happened in South Australia," he said.

"I think what the Government is planning to do now is a mature and workable system."

Earlier this year, Liberal MP Peter Katsambanis criticised the idea of a container deposit scheme, describing it as a "great big tax" that would increase the cost of eligible drinks.

"For families and pensioners struggling to make ends meet, 10c on a bottle of milk or lemonade, or even 10c on a bottle of beer for that matter is a lot of money," he told Parliament.

Loading...