Abstract
Nova Scotia is the only Canadian province to successfully attain 50 % waste diversion. It continuously determines its target afresh and eagerly works on waste diversion. A half-back deposit/refund system for beverage containers lies at the core of the waste policy in this province. This study presents findings from research on how this system works with respect to Nova Scotia′s waste policy. It was found that the half-back system is an environmental charge system having an environmental resource function and indicates that the funding provided for waste diversion is being used effectively. The deposits are completely refunded in a traditional deposit/refund system. Although it is the same as the traditional system for refillable containers in the half-back system, for non-refillable containers only half of the deposit gets refunded. This deposit is instead being used as revenue for system management or by the municipalities, via diversion credits. This study concludes that this uniquely strategic use of deposits is contributing to the reduction of landfill waste in Nova Scotia. It also presents an economic model showing the half-back system to be a resource-procurement system.
This study also presents an economic model showing the half-back system to be a resource-procurement system.
