Exchange for Change (EfC) will hold supplier contribution pricing for NSW’s Return and Earn scheme for a further 12 months, while new pricing will apply to suppliers funding the ACT Container Deposit Scheme (CDS).
In NSW, the current fixed price by material type will remain in effect until the January 2028 invoice, inclusive. In the ACT, new fixed prices will apply from the February 2027 invoice through to January 2028.
EfC will also introduce changes for smaller beverage suppliers in both states from 1 July 2027.
In NSW, eligibility for the Small Supplier Program will increase from suppliers of up to 300,000 containers a year to up to 1 million. The program will also introduce quarterly reporting alongside quarterly invoicing.
A new Micro Supplier Program will cover suppliers of up to 100,000 containers a year, with annual reporting and invoicing. Payment terms for small and micro suppliers will increase from seven to 28 days.
In the ACT, the Small Supplier Program will apply to suppliers supplying up to 300,000 containers a year, with quarterly reporting and invoicing, while the new Micro Supplier Program will cover suppliers of up to 100,000 containers a year, with annual reporting and invoicing.
“We’re pleased to announce these changes today in direct response to feedback from the beverage industry,” said Danielle Smalley, CEO of Exchange for Change.
EfC said approximately 86 per cent of participating beverage suppliers in NSW and 90 per cent in the ACT will benefit from the changes.
ACT supplier pricing is based on forecast scheme costs, including expected container redemption volumes. EfC said it had used modelling and the latest consumer research data to forecast costs for the upcoming pricing period.
Both schemes operate on a cost-recovery basis and do not make a profit. Suppliers pay a fixed price per material type to fund the schemes, with NSW contribution pricing also accounting for the 10c consumer refund.
More than 16.6 billion bottles, cans and cartons have been returned through NSW’s Return and Earn network since it launched in December 2017. In the ACT, more than 498 million drink containers have been returned since the scheme began in June 2018.
