Wine and spirits sat outside Australia's container deposit schemes for years, and label artwork in those categories was designed accordingly. That exemption is closing state by state. On 1 July 2026 both Western Australia and the Northern Territory expanded their schemes to cover most beverage containers between 150 millilitres and three litres, wine and spirit bottles included. Queensland already accepted glass wine and spirit bottles. New South Wales, South Australia and the ACT have committed to following, with systems being readied for 2027.
The refund itself is a policy story. The consequence for packaging teams is narrower and more practical: a legally required mark now has to find a home on labels that were designed on the assumption it never would.
What has changed, and where
In Western Australia, Containers for Change now accepts wine and spirits in glass, plastic and cask formats, along with juice, cordial and larger containers already in scope. The state government estimated the change would add roughly 200 million containers to the scheme each year.
The Northern Territory scheme expanded on the same date to cover beverage containers up to three litres, including wine, spirits and plain milk.
New South Wales and South Australia announced a coordinated expansion covering wine and spirit glass bottles, cordial and juice concentrate containers, and larger sizes of drinks already in the schemes. Both have said the changes will be enacted by late 2027, with return systems ready from mid 2027, and the ACT will align with the NSW timing. Plain milk and health tonic containers remain excluded in both states.
The refund mark, and the grace period
Regulated containers have to carry a refund marking, generally in the form "10c refund at collection depots/points in participating State/Territory of purchase". Scheme guidance recommends the numeral is set at a minimum height with clear space around the mark so that it stays legible, so it cannot simply be shrunk into a gap in the back label. Confirm the current specification with the relevant scheme coordinator before you set artwork, because the detail varies between jurisdictions.
Both expanding jurisdictions have built in transition time rather than demanding immediate relabelling. Western Australia has indicated new suppliers will have up to three years to update product labelling, with a longer allowance of up to ten years for cellared product. The Northern Territory has set a two year window for refund marking on wine and spirits containers and one year for other newly regulated containers. Consumers can return eligible containers in the meantime whether or not the mark is printed on them.
Those windows are generous by regulatory standards, and that is exactly why they get wasted. A long runway invites a brand to defer the decision until a reprint is already with the printer, at which point the mark lands in whatever space is left.
Why this is harder for wine than for soft drinks
Carbonated drinks and beer have carried refund marks for years, and their labels evolved around them. Wine and spirits are a different proposition.
- The front label is usually treated as untouchable. That pushes every regulatory element to the back label, which is already carrying alcohol content, standard drinks, the pregnancy warning label, allergen statements, country of origin, the producer address and often vintage or tasting notes.
- Premium wine and spirits labels lean on uncoated, textured and dark stocks, on foils, embossing and screen printing. A small block of type with a legibility requirement behaves badly on all of them.
- Print runs are small and frequent. A vintage change is an artwork change, which is an opportunity, but it also means many more SKUs and many more separate files than a typical FMCG range.
- Distribution is national. A brand sold in every state either carries a mark that satisfies all participating jurisdictions or maintains state specific artwork, which multiplies plates, stock holding and error risk.
Practical moves for the next artwork round
The useful response is not a redesign. It is a small amount of planning applied at the moment artwork is already open.
- Audit the range by jurisdiction. List which SKUs are sold in WA, the NT and Queensland now, and which will be in scope in NSW, SA and the ACT. The overlap tells you which labels need attention first.
- Design the mark into the back label rather than adding it. Give it a defined position in the layout with its own clear space, in the same way a barcode is placed, so it survives future revisions intact.
- Use the next scheduled reprint. A vintage change or stock replenishment is a cheaper moment to fold in a label change than a standalone re-plate, and it is the right time to bundle any claim review, country of origin update or address change into one artwork round.
- Treat stickers as a stopgap. Applying a compliant label over existing stock is accepted practice for old inventory, but it is a poor look on a premium bottle and an ongoing cost.
- Check registration and reporting, not just artwork. Suppliers generally need their containers registered with the scheme coordinator and their barcodes recognised. A correct mark on an unregistered container still causes problems at the return point.
The wider point
Australian back labels have been filling up for a decade, and the refund mark is the latest arrival rather than the last. Brands that treat mandatory elements as an afterthought end up with a back label that reads like a compliance dump, which is a missed opportunity given how many buyers turn the bottle over before they choose. Give every required mark a designed position instead, and revisit the layout properly when the requirements shift. For a full picture of what has to appear on an Australian pack, see our guide to every mark that belongs on an Australian pack.
General information to help you plan, not legal or professional advice. Container deposit scheme requirements differ by state and territory and change over time, so always confirm the current position with the relevant scheme coordinator or your designer before you print.