A landmark "Ordinance on the Avoidance of Packaging Waste" introduced in Germany in 1991 has been highly publicised in Australia. The new system, designed to ensure manufacturers take more responsibility for the packaging they create, gives consumers the right to leave excess packaging behind or return it to the point-of-sale later. As a result, far greater pressure is placed on manufacturers, via retailers, to establish alternative collection schemes and ensure their packaging is reusable and recyclable.

Much can be learned from the European experience in addressing the waste crisis which has so quickly enveloped New South Wales and indeed Australia. The German experience has shown Container Deposit Legislation is a necessary precursor to the introduction of further waste minimisation legislation. Without CDL, the high return rates, emphasis on re-use, and precedent of point-of-sale return, all necessary to make a wider strategy work, will not be achieved.

CDL will pave the way for wide and effective waste minimisation legislation in NSW. On the other hand, if this opportunity to introduce CDL is foregone, there will remain no clear direction or long-term strategy capable of reducing waste to the extent necessary in coming years.