MEDIA
STATEMENT
Bring back container deposits - Hyde
John Hyde MLA
Member for Perth
Thursday September 19, 2002
The State Labor Government should make deposits on bottles, cans
and other recyclable containers compulsory, according to Perth
Labor MLA John Hyde in State Parliament today.
"A deposit on bottles and cans as in South Australia will
drastically cut litter, decrease costs for local Councils and
promote more energy-efficient packaging," said Mr Hyde.
"Local Councils currently pay around 82 per cent of the
real costs for recycling and litter collection.
"It's time that the packaging industry was forced to accept
life-cycle responsibility - they create the containers and packaging;
they should be paying to recycle the packaging which earns their
profits.
"Cans and bottles of Cola in South Australia don't cost
more and aren't bought in less quantity because that State puts
a returnable deposit on containers."
Mr Hyde said that once the packaging industry took full responsibility
for the whole life-cycle of their containers, more energy-efficient
production processes and more economical recycling practices would
result.
"Everyone feels good about recycling but in WA it's environmentally
conscious Councils which are massively subsidising the costs -
there is no economic incentive for the packaging industry to be
more efficient and use packaging for its proper purpose rather
than as elaborate, expensive advertising," said Mr Hyde.
"The previous State Government signed a dud National Packaging
Covenant and promised not to introduce Container Deposit Legislation
- a free kick for the packaging industry and a huge impost for
local Councils.
"Our State is now much more aware of sustainability issues
- that the Federal Government is now considering a 30 cent deposit/cost
on supermarket plastic bags shows that the time is right for WA
to embrace CDL."
Mr Hyde said that as a child, he and neighbouring children learnt
the value of recycling by collecting bottles with deposits to
pay for surfboards. In South Australia, community groups and job
creation programmes benefit from collecting bottles and cans.
The Container Recycling Institute in the US estimates that if
the U.S. could increase beverage container recycling from the
current national rate of approximately 40 percent to at least
80 percent, a rate that has been reached in most states with CDL,
we could save the energy equivalent of 42 million barrels of crude
oil, or enough energy to meet the electrical needs of 7 million
U.S. homes
Media Contact: John Hyde on 9227 8040 or 0419201024
John Hyde MLA
Member for Perth
446 William St, Perth WA 6000
ph 08-92278040; fax 08-92278060
www.johnhyde.com.au
