Sign Up Letter Container Deposit Legislation
Container Deposit Legislation Sign on Letter (Please sign by October 1, 2011)
Dear Friend,
We are looking for your support to establish Container Deposit Legislation (CDL) in Victoria. CDL is a scheme whereby a 10 cent returnable deposit is given to all drink bottles, cans and cartons. We are asking you to sign onto this letter. The letter (with as many people/groups signing on as possible) will then be presented to the Premier and Environment Minister in October 2011. We need to put as much pressure as possible on the Baillieu Government at this crucial time.
If you are happy to add your name/organisation onto this letter, just send me a reply email before September 30, either at containerdeposit@hotmail.com or anthonyamis@hotmail.com
Regards
Anthony Amis on behalf of the Boomerang Alliance and Friends of the Earth.
The Letter
Dear Hon Premier Ted Baillieu and Hon Ryan Smith,
Whilst in opposition your Government supported the Greens Bill on Container Deposit Legislation; introduction of CDL at the state level has also been your Government’s policy position at the last 2 elections.
Now with the power to make good on your promise and introduce CDL, your Government has instead decided to wait until the Federal Government finalises the Packaging Impacts Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (CRIS). This process could take years.
The CRIS does not focus on the key packaging waste problem, beverage containers. Whilst a national system is preferable, it is essential that Victoria act now. If a national recycling scheme eventually becomes a reality then the state system could be easily integrated (as would the existing South Australian and Northern Territory systems). However to keep delaying means the ongoing problem of billions of discarded beverage containers not being recycled in Victoria.
Victorian’s consume almost one million tonnes of packaging per year. Of this, approximately 103 kilograms of packaging waste per person is land-filled each year. Drink containers represent 30% of all packaging, but only half of used containers are recycled. Plastic soft drink containers are the most littered item by volume in Victoria.
In Victoria, there is little recycling available for food and drink containers consumed away from home. Kerbside recycling services run by local councils are now overstretched and costs have increased at an average rate of 13.8% over past 3 years. Clearly the time is right for a CDL scheme to start in Victoria.
Refunds on drink containers can bring about a 12 to 15% reduction in litter. In South Australia which has had Container Deposit Legislation since 1977, there is a drink container recovery rate of 80%. Community organisations, in South Australia, such as scouts can earn approximately $9 million per year from operation of collection depots.
A 10c returnable deposit on bottles, cans and cartons in Victoria would see;
• Beverage container recycling rates increase from 49.5% to 83%,
• Over $21.5 million in annual savings to ratepayers,
• A reduction of over 10% in packaging waste sent to landfill,
• 137,000 tonnes of material saved from landfill, potentially saving local government waste operations $5.1 million annually and local government recycling operations $6.5 million,
• Victoria’s Greenhouse emissions reduce by over 456,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year,
• The creation of 300-400 new jobs primarily at 300 recycling depots/hubs . #
Container Deposit Legislation would be of financial benefit for every council in Victoria. Councils will gain new income from refunds, pay less landfill fees, less gate fees at recycling centres and require less need to find new landfills. There would also be increased incomes for recycling collectors, materials re-processors and the waste management industry.
The EPA would administer the system including community recycling hubs, with their Environment Protection Fund bolstered by $56.3 million per annum in unredeemed deposits.
By supporting CDL, this would grant the Baillieu Government credibility, as a party that honours the pledges it makes in opposition on a long standing issue of great public concern. We urge you to support Greens MLC Colleen Hartland’s Environment Protection Amendment (Beverage Container Deposit and Recovery Scheme) Bill 2011.
Yours sincerely,
Anthony Amis Friends of the Earth/Boomerang Alliance
#Source of statistics used in this letter. ‘Turning Rubbish Into Community Money – The benefits of a 10c deposit on drink containers in Victoria’. By the office of Colleen Hartland MLC. Second Edition, 2011.
Comments
These laws double or triple the recycling rate
Australia is beautiful, and needs to be kept clean. South Australia and Northern Territory have already realised the need for container deposit legislation, time for Victoria and the rest of the country to do so. Container deposit laws are in place in more than 18 European countries, all Canadian provinces, and 10 US states. These laws double or triple the recycling rate, while reducing litter and cost to local councils and tax payers, and receive widespread public support. In the US, more containers are recycled in the 10 deposit states than the other 40 states combined. Hopefully your elected leaders do a better job fighting against beverage industry lobbyists than ours do, pass container deposit legislation Victoria!
Steve
USA
Time this legislation was passed
Australian citizens commit their time to cleaning up empty bottles/ cans and rubbish from their communities all around Australia on a regular basis ... it's time this legislation was passed to lessen the impact of rubbish all around our beautiful Nation ... LITTERING IS AN OFFENCE !!!
Amazed that the rest of the nation has not followed SA
For some obscure reason, most people screw the lid back on to the PET bottles which are then binned or chucked. Some are recycled, but most end up on the side of the road to eventually wash into rivers and oceans, or end up in expensive landfill and cannot be compacted. That's a lot of good air going to waste.
South Australia has had it right for 34 years, I am amazed that the rest of the nation has not followed. I would happily pay extra initially, to collect the refund later, or to put it where others could benefit and then we could be a 'clean State' like S.A. and hopefully N.T.
Victoria, be a leader and help fast track to a National scheme.
Will help lower littering of Australia's precious forests
I think 10c deposit will help lower littering of Australia's precious forests.
There's only good outcomes that I can think of
This Bill makes sense to me. It can help clean up our streets, water-ways and environment in general. Plus, it can help fund our local community organizations. There's only good outcomes that I can think of, so I say " yes to this Bill ".
Lessens litter on roadsides and is good for community groups
South Australia's 10c deposit scheme lessons litter on roadsides in that state and it is good for community groups for fundraising and also income for the not so well off. It cleans up our streets and while we were in South Australia we collected enough bottles and newspapers to build a new school hall which was used for basketball and school activities as well as community events, fundraisers etc. thanks to our hardwork and school committee. Does Victoria always have to be a backward state in doing what is right!
fantastic idea and Coca Cola the daft asses have nothing to fear
Thanks for all the work getting this issue onto the agenda.
Of course it's a fantastic idea and Coca Cola the daft asses have nothing to fear.