Greens MP Calls on Local Government to carry the flag on Container Deposits - 5 November 2008

The release of today’s figures on the National Packaging Covenant shows the final nail is the coffin Australia’s packaging recycling scheme. In light of the packaging industry’s failure to meet modest, watered-down recycling targets, Greens MP, Ian Cohen, in partnership with 79 Greens Local Councillors, is urging Local Governments to investigate the benefits of Container Deposit Schemes.

“We have given the packaging industry 9 years to increase recycling rates and they can’t even break the 50% mark. Meanwhile, South Australia has achieved packaging recycle rates of 70-80% with the use of a Container Deposit Scheme,” says Greens MP Ian Cohen.

“A Container Deposit Scheme will not only succeed where the National Packaging Covenant has abysmally failed, but it will also reduce Australia’s GHG by over 1.3 million tonnes of CO2e per year, save enough water to permanently supply over 24,000 Australian homes and deliver the same level of Australian air quality improvements as taking 140,000 cars off the road.”

“There can be no clearer evidence of the obstructionist behaviour exhibited by the packaging industry to frustrate the environmental aspirations of ordinary Australia’s for the sake of a few inches on the bottom line of the large multinational packaging companies.”

“The figures clearly demonstrates that the collusion of State government apathy and packaging industry self regulation has failed Australia’s waste management and recycling objectives. NSW residents need to work with their Local Governments to show the Rees’ Labor Party that they want an efficient recycling system to capture ‘away from home consumption’ - approximately 50% of all food and beverage consumption.

“NSW’s Deputy Premier and Environment Minister must to break the disenchanting mantra of a ‘national approach’ on container deposit schemes. The Minister and the bureaucracy know that the procedural hoops for a national approach are set way too high. NSW has waited long enough for a container deposit scheme and it is time the Premier gives my Container Deposit Scheme Bill ‘a red hot go’.