The Environment Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC) met today in Perth to discuss national waste management. After years of deliberating and doing nothing, the EPHC continues to procrastinate, reporting today that “the preliminary findings of the modelling study […] found a high level of community interest in recycling packaging”, and that they are ”keenly awaiting the results of the final report, to assist them to make an evidence based decision on what action to take on the community’s desire to recycle more packaging and reduce litter.”
“Why do we need any more studies on this? The modelling is already there in South Australia. Mike Rann tabled a statement* about the unqualified success of the 10 cent deposit in the South Australian parliament last week. Why is the rest of the country still waiting while tonnes of containers go to landfill or end up in our oceans?’” says Ian Cohen.
My Private Member’s Bill – the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery (Container Recovery) Bill 2008 – was voted down by the parliament in June this year. The NSW Government said that the issue should be dealt with at a national level. We are still waiting for Federal leadership on this.
“I believe the experience of South Australia tells us enough about recycling containers – we don’t need any more studies or surveys. Container Deposit Legislation is a no-brainer to everyone except the beverage and packaging industries, who peddle the fear that their products will cost us more – the truth is they just don’t want to be held responsible for the environmental havoc their products create.
“CDL will increase recycling by over 630,000 tonnes per year – that’s a lot less going landfill. Kerbside recycling from residents is not effective enough - approximately 50% of packaging is consumed away from home and there is no reliable infrastructure to recover it.
“Local government also want a CDL scheme. The cost of municipal recycling has increased by over 13.8% per annum over the past 5 years. It is costing councils – and consequently ratepayers – too much to send containers to landfill, “ says Ian Cohen, Greens MLC.
“It is a simple polluter pays system. Containers that are not returned can be collected by other people who get the deposit; a system that works to the benefit of community groups in South Australia who fund their work by collecting containers for the deposit.
“CDL will result in landfill reduction, litter reduction, reduced glass accidents, increased quantity of better quality recyclables, pollution reduction and reduced greenhouse gas emissions and more money for community groups.”
See Mike Rann's Ministerial statement
http://hansard.parliament.sa.gov.au/pages/loaddoc.aspx?i=102571
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