Exchange for Change, the scheme coordinator for the New South Wales container deposit scheme, has announced a significant change to the way beverage suppliers will be invoiced, moving to an in-arrears model from September 2025.
The shift will bring NSW into alignment with the invoicing practices of most other Australian container deposit schemes, a move designed to simplify participation for suppliers operating across multiple jurisdictions.
Currently, NSW beverage suppliers are invoiced on a forward-funding basis, where monthly invoices are based on actual volumes supplied in the previous month to fund the following month’s scheme costs. Under the new in-arrears model, invoices will be based on actual supply volumes from the previous month to cover the corresponding month’s costs.
“We understand the challenges faced by beverage suppliers participating in container deposit schemes in multiple jurisdictions across Australia, which can be exacerbated by the different administrative requirements,” said Danielle Smalley, CEO of Exchange for Change.
“This change is part of our commitment to make participation easier for suppliers by looking for opportunities to harmonise across jurisdictions.”
To support the transition, no supplier contribution invoices will be issued in July or August 2025, providing a two-month reprieve from contributions. The first in-arrears invoice will be issued on 21 September 2025, based on August 2025 supply volumes.
Despite the change in invoicing, supplier reporting obligations will remain unchanged. Beverage suppliers will still be required to report actual volumes supplied in July and August, with reporting deadlines set for 15 July and 15 August 2025, respectively.
The NSW container deposit scheme operates on a cost-recovery basis and does not generate profit. Since its launch in December 2017, the scheme has seen more than 13.9 billion drink containers returned via its network of return points, and an additional 3.8 billion collected through kerbside recycling.
With more than two in every three containers now returned through the scheme, the program continues to support waste reduction and drive progress towards a more circular economy in the state.