Drink suppliers are an integral part of the NSW Container Deposit Scheme, Return and Earn. A supplier means a person who carries on a business that is or includes the supply of beverages in containers. This includes retailers, distributors, wholesalers, and persons who trade, swap, or give away for free, beverages in containers. Suppliers include:

• first suppliers: anyone who makes the first supply of an eligible beverage in NSW.
• container approval holders: the person or business who has been granted a container approval by the EPA.

Please read the First supplier guidelines (PDF 380KB) to check if you are a first supplier.

If you are a first supplier, you must:

• enter into a supply arrangement with the scheme coordinator, Exchange for Change
• ensure that each class of drink container you first supply in NSW has been granted a container approval by the EPA
• pay a contribution for each eligible container supplied into NSW.

For more information on how to register as a supplier, supply arrangements, scheme payments and contribution methodology, visit Exchange for Change.

Our role

We play an important compliance role to ensure Return and Earn meets its objectives. Our priority is to educate suppliers and retailers to achieve compliance in the first instance. 

Compliance

We use active compliance measures (EXAMPLES PLEASE of what this is) where necessary to ensure all eligible containers meet the legislated requirements.

Containers without a compliant barcode, can lid or refund marking may have their approvals revoked or suspended. This makes it an offence to supply, or offer to supply, the beverage container in NSW. Suppliers may be subject to penalties.

Retailer obligations

Retailers must ensure eligible beverages show the 10c refund marking. Penalties may apply to people who supply or offer to supply eligible containers that do not comply with the legislation.

Check your existing stock to ensure that it is compliant.

Talk to your suppliers

Ask your suppliers to demonstrate that their containers show the refund marking and have active container approvals.

Check it before you accept it

Visually check incoming stock to ensure it shows the refund marking. Use the Return and Earn Container Search Tool to check if the stock is approved.

Find out more

Approvals: all beverage suppliers must ensure that each class of beverage container they supply in NSW is approved by the EPA.

Compliance: compliant containers must show the NSW refund marking, comply with the barcode requirement and cans must not have removable ring-pull lids.