The National Retail Association has called on the New South Wales State Government to conduct further consultation with retailers on whether participation in the proposed container deposit scheme (CDS) is to be mandatory.
NRA Chief Executive Officer Dominique Lamb said that the Government needed to work with the retail industry to ensure that retailers will not be crushed by heavy-handed government regulation.
“The NRA does believe that participation in the container deposit scheme should be voluntary and that no retailer should be forced to act as a collection point,” Ms Lamb said.
“The NRA is calling on the NSW Government to consult with the retail industry, to ensure that no retailer is adversely effected by new government regulation associated with the introduction of the CDS.”
The NRA argues that many retailers do not currently have the capacity to act as mandatory collection points and that it will place unfair costs on their business.
“Retailers who are without a carpark would be forced to use floor space that they currently don’t have, in order to fulfil their role as a collection point under any CDS.
“If a retailer is forced to use their own floor space as compulsory participants in the CDS process they will be forced to unfairly shoulder the additional cost.
“The NRA is happy to consider initiatives that aim to reduce litter, however it is our firm view that this shouldn’t come with new layers of red tape that burden retailers.
“There has been insufficient time for retailers to adequately prepare for compulsory participation in the CDS process and we urge the NSW Government to ensure that the process in voluntary for all retailers.”