Ten-cent container deposit scheme bill tabled as Environment Minister seeks to reassure charities

The not-for-profit sector has raised a range of concerns about the government's chosen split-responsibility model, including TasCOSS claiming it would sideline charities from the process at the expense of a monopoly waste company.

Mr Jaensch tabled the draft bill on Tuesday and sought to reassure charities and community groups that they could still benefit from the scheme.

"All charities and community groups will be able to receive donations of containers from the community and collect 10-cent-per-container for their organisation," he said.

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"Some organisations may also enter agreements to operate refund points and receive payments for handling and sorting returned containers.

"All Tasmanian charities and community groups will be able to register for a refund account so members of the public can donate their container refunds directly, electronically, to the charity or community group of their choice."

The government also announced a grants program for small beverage companies to help them alter their product barcodes under the scheme with an 18-month transition period and an exemption from paying into the scheme for their first 20,000 container sales.

The scheme's design is continuing to face opposition however, including from James Boag's Brewery parent company Lion which designed an alternative community-run model called TasRecycle with Coca Cola Amatil.

Boag's released a statement on Tuesday calling for the legislation to be scrutinised by an upper house committee, including how the scheme stacks up against past recommendations to the government.

Brewery director Nathan Calman said they feared the model would cost the brewery more in the long run.

"From a Boag's perspective, we are deeply concerned that the proposed for-profit model will cost us an additional $1-$1.5 million a year more than the alternative community (producer responsibility) scheme," he said.

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"This will put significant pressure on our operations and will mean higher than necessary beer prices for consumers."

Tasmanian Greens environment spokesperson Rosalie Woodruff was supportive of the government's plans, despite the party being criticised in the past for calling for a container deposit scheme.

"Environmental stewardship has been lambasted as 'bad for business' for years by the Liberals. Thankfully, in this instance, political interests have bowed to overwhelming consumer sentiment and financial sense," she said.

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