Non-Alcoholic Beverages Industry Welcomes CDS VIC and VicReturn

As a champion of product stewardship and the circular economy, the Australian non-alcoholic beverages industry welcomes today’s announcement of the Victorian container deposit scheme (CDS) brand, scheme coordinator and network operators.

SYDNEY – The Australian Beverages Council Limited (ABCL) welcomes the announcement today by the Victorian Government of details of its container deposit scheme (CDS) which will deliver world class collection and recycling for drinks containers across the state.

“We welcome CDS VIC and VicReturn as the next drivers of circularity in Australia and the ABCL looks forward to supporting them as our members transition into the scheme over the coming months” says ABCL CEO Geoff Parker. “We are now only one state away from having an entire continent covered by CDS, which is a particular point of pride for our industry. We know through our engagement with consumers including via our DrinkFacts initiative, that Victorians look forward to being able to get ten cents back for their drinks containers while doing the right thing for the environment.

“We are also encouraged by Victoria’s adoption of ‘caps on’ bottle return policy and a comprehensive network of collection points, which will drive participation in the scheme by Victorians. We encourage the Government to look to harmonise with other states’ registration pricing and definitions when completing their regulations in areas including first supplier, contract bottler designation and export protocols.”

The ABCL supports nation-leading initiatives that create clean, source-separated materials for reintegration into food-grade beverage packaging. Our members are proud to package their drinks in recyclable materials which can be used again and again in a circular economy system collected and recycled through schemes like CDS VIC.