AFROCAB (Australians For Refunds on Cans and Bottles),
the Boomerang Alliance and Friends of the Earth invite you to support a 10c refund system by coming to Victorian Parliament for a special event on the steps.
When: Wednesday 15 August - 1pm
Where: Parliament of Victoria - Spring Street (top of Bourke Street)
background
Also known as Container Deposit System (CDS).
Please take action for container deposit legislation!
Over the next two weeks, state and federal governments will be preparing their positions on supporting a container deposit scheme (CDS), prior to the ministerial meeting on 24 August. We need to take action now!
Please, as a matter of urgency, send a letter to your Premier and Environment Minister Tony Burke seeking support for a national container deposit scheme along the low cost and efficient model proposed by the Boomerang Alliance.
You can find a letter here.
This will go to the federal Minister plus your Premier once you put your postcode in.
Please forward to your networks.
THE PROBLEM
Victorians consume over a million tonnes of packaging per year; around 30% of these being drink bottles.. A significant amount are recovered by residential kerbside recycling at the cost of local governments. More than half however - some 2.5billion containers - are littered or landfilled. There is an escalating amount of drinks, particularly water consumed away from home, such as at work, cafes, parks and pubs. At these places of great value to Victoria, recycling is very limited and containers end up in our parks, bushland, rivers and ocean - or in landfill.
In recent years, the cost of kerbside recycling has increased at an annual rate of 13%, with a very little increase in material recovery. There are also limitations with separation technology, especially due to glass bottles which break and contaminate other recyclables such as paper, and wear down machinery.
WHAT IS CONTAINER DEPOSIT LEGISLATION (CDL)?
The proposed CDS for Victoria is a program that would be overseen by the EPA as a 10c levy on drink container wholesale prices, and redeemable by consumers at hubs, depots or reverse vending machines at no cost to retailers. Hubs are large recycling centers for bulk collection, from local depots and community fundraising groups. Reverse vending machines read barcodes and present refunds in the form of cash or vouchers, and would be conveniently placed in shopping centers, service stations, and schools. RVM have worked well particularly overseas. .
The scheme is self-funding, using the sale of recovered drink containers and
unredeemed deposits for running costs, including the promotion of recycling. This means local governments and rate payers will have reduced kerbside, recycling and landfill costs..
CDS also increases industry accountability to reduce their packaging and take responsibility to make sure their bottles and cans are recycled.
CDS is in place in many states of the US, nearly all of Canada, and Northern Europe. In Australia it had worked effectively in South Australia for the last 30 years and has just recently begun in in the NT. The scheme proposed by Vic MP Ms Hartland combines the qualities that work well in a variety of schemes into on comprehensive plan. This plan would be a strong catalyst, making a national scheme almost inevitable.
“It gets litter off the streets and money into the pockets of people who do the right thing.” - Alison ANDERSON, NT Environment Minister. [date]
THE BENEFITS OF CDL
Jobs
South Australia benefits from around 600 green jobs through their container deposit system. In Victoria, CDS would create up to, and potentially more, than 400 new green jobs through the running of recycling plants, hubs and depots, and transfer stations.
Environment Victoria estimates that if the scheme drop-off centres incorporate electronic waste it could create around 2300 new jobs.
Waste reduction
South Australia recycles 87 per cent of beverage containers. As a result, The Australian Productivity Commission report on waste management shows that South Australia had 50 to 70 per cent less beverage container litter in public spaces than other states without CDS.
“I live in an electorate that adjoins South Australia. The contrast is stark. In this regard the two states are like chalk and cheese.”
- Dr Napthine (Vic MP for South-West Coast)
With CDS it is estimated that within Victoria recycling rates would double, lifted to a rate above 80%, or an extra 128,000 tonnes away from landfill. This means less litter in public spaces such as parks and beaches.
Community Fundraising
CDS presents a great opportunity for community groups to raise funds by collecting bottles and redeeming refunds. South Australian scout groups redeemed $9million last year alone.
“Since (September 2008) approximately 1.125 billion beverage containers have been returned to recycling depots for a refund, representing more than $112.5 million going back into the pockets of the community.”
- Colleen Hartland, Greens member.
Reducing tax
In Victoria, local governments, or rate payers, spend more than $70 million per annum cleaning up litter. Introducing CDL will provide $15.2 million in annual savings to ratepayers that could be going to health, education and other services.
Every single municipality in Victoria will benefit financially.
· Brimbank would save $665 000;
· Hobsons Bay would save $394 000;
· Hume would save $543 000;
· Maribyrnong would save $273 000; Melton would save $226 000;
· Moonee Valley would save $508 000;
· Moreland would save $597 000; and
· Wyndham would save $364 000.
In addition, CDL would lower the cost of kerbside recycling by around $5million pa by reducing volumes and associated separation and transfer costs. The quality and value of materials will also increase due to reduced contamination.
Environmental benefits
In Victoria, recycling and reuse of containers will mean a reduction in manufacturing pollution of 450,000 greenhouse gas emissions per annum, which is the equivalent of 65,000 homes converted to renewable energy, or taking 350,000 cars off the road. It would also save 1600 litres of water which is valued at $8million.
AUSTRALIA WANTS CDL
97% of Victorians want a container deposit system.
“Yet this government continues to say no to container deposit legislation when people in the community around Victoria are saying loud and clear they support container deposit legislation… This government stands condemned for not introducing container deposit legislation.”
- Craig Ingram, former Independent MP.
TAKE ACTION
Please send a note to the Premier, urging him to support a national container deposit system.
Either sign the letter to Federal Environment Minister Tony Bourke available here (if you select VICTORIA in your address it will cc the Premier) or cut and paste the following message and send to:
The Hon Ted Baillieu
Premier of Victoria
Dear Premier
With environment ministers due to make a decision on packaging litter and recycling, it is crucial you only support the introduction of a container deposit system (and not the ineffective industry alternative) in Australia which will:
· significantly lift our recycling rates of glass, plastic and metal beverage containers
· virtually eliminate beverage container litter
· help charities
· create new jobs
· support hundreds of new convenient drop-off centres for other products like batteries and e-waste, as well.
Add your name and address and send to: ted.baillieu@parliament.vic.gov.au
THIS CAMPAIGN
We are working with the Boomerang Alliance on this project. The Alliance is made up of some of Australia`s leading environment groups, and is committed to work for zero waste in Australia.
