Consumers short changed by refund scheme

Once he has made the 40 kilometre round trip to Kunda Park to deposit his eligible containers, Coolum’s Albert Hume is fairly confident his refund won’t cover the cost of the fuel to make the trip. And he’s not happy.

Mr Hume is joining a growing number of local residents expressing their anger at the new Container Refund Scheme, an initiative which while designed to increase recycling rates and benefit local communities, is having the opposite effect.

Ninderry MP Dan Purdie met Mr Hume on site at Envirobank’s recycling station at Peregian Springs Shopping Centre today to talk about some of the ongoing teething problems that continue to plague the scheme, turning would-be recyclers away.

“I applaud the scheme in principle – anything we can do to encourage people to do the right thing and recycle should be a winner – but in this case, it appears to be nothing more than a Ponzi scheme, ripping off consumers who end up paying more,” Mr Purdie said.

“I’ve received dozens of complaints about the scheme, yet when we raise these legitimate concerns with the Minister, we’re accused of scaremongering,” Mr Purdie said.

Mr Hume likened the scheme to a rort.

“I am paying more for the products, yet when I go to exchange them, there’s always a problem at the other end, and I can’t claim my refund,” Mr Hume said.

Common complaints include the lack of orange collection bags and sites, sites that are closed outside of business hours, technical difficulties claiming the refund, and concerns about the security of online transfers.

Mr Purdie said it was time the State Government took responsibility for fixing up the ongoing issues with the scheme.

“At the moment, it’s just another tax that’s impacting on the ever increasing costs of living for householders.

“I urge the Minister to at least acknowledge the community’s concerns and work with the service providers to help restore the public’s faith in the scheme, and ensure the proceeds are returned to their rightful owners.”