Wednesday, 15 November 2023

Container deposit scheme

Luba GRIGOROVITCH (Kororoit) (19:16): (448) The adjournment I wish to raise is for the Minister for Environment. This week is National Recycling Week, and what better action to seek from the minister than that he join me at a bulk container deposit scheme return centre in my electorate of Kororoit to see the amazing work which they are doing. With Victorians now able to return eligible cans, bottles and cartons for a 10-cent refund, Tomra Cleanaway have launched their Ravenhall depot as part of the Victorian west zone container deposit scheme. The container deposit scheme will create around 6000 local jobs, and I am pleased to see that work is being done at the Ravenhall bulk CDS site, operated by social enterprise Outlook (Aust), which is providing real employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Refund points are also being rolled out across the state in reverse vending machines, which I have seen across my electorate in Deer Park, Caroline Springs and Aintree, as well as over-the-counter sites for refunds being delivered in cash or retail vouchers, directly transferred to personal accounts or to CDS donation partners. I know a lot of sporting and community organisations in Kororoit are very excited about this scheme. CDS Victoria is part of the Allan Labor government’s $515 million investment to transform the state’s waste and recycling sector. This includes the new, standardised four-stream waste and recycling system, which will meet the target of diverting 80 per cent of all material away from landfill by 2030.