Consultation on regulatory amendments for the expansion of the Container Deposit Scheme (CDS)

Overview

Western Australia’s container deposit scheme (CDS) was established under Part 5A of the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Act 2007 (WARR Act). The Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery (Container Deposit Scheme) Regulations 2019 (CDS Regulations), set out the legislative framework for the CDS with the aim to increase recycling, reduce litter, provide benefits for community groups and charities, and create employment opportunities for small businesses and social enterprises. 

On 10 September 2025, the Government of Western Australia announced an expansion of the CDS from 1 July 2026. The draft Waste Avoidance and Waste Recovery (Container Deposit Scheme) Amendment Regulations 2025 (draft regulations) have been prepared to accomplish this expansion, as well as other amendments to assist in improving and streamlining the administration of the CDS. 

The CDS Stakeholder Advisory Group has also been established and comprises representatives from the beverage, spirit, wine and retail industry, resource recovery, local government and the scheme coordinator. Their role is to provide feedback on the regulatory amendments and how operational elements of the scheme are affected. They will provide independent feedback as knowledgeable representatives of their industry and propose workable, cost-effective solutions to the government.  

The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation is seeking feedback from the CDS Stakeholder Advisory Group on the effective implementation of the changes to the CDS that are proposed under the draft regulations. The draft regulations have been developed and an information paper is available. The closing date for submissions is 5pm (WST) Sunday 18 January 2026.

Feedback

Written feedback from the Stakeholder Advisory Group on the consultation draft should be submitted to cds@dwer.wa.gov.au. No late submissions will be considered. Please note that written submissions may be published on our website.

Questions about the consultation process and how to provide feedback can be sent to cds@dwer.wa.gov.au.

If you are not on the Stakeholder Advisory Group and are interested in providing feedback, please contact cds@dwer.wa.gov.au. 

Related Documents

Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery (CDS) Amendment Regulations 2025 Information paper