Container deposit scheme for the ACT
ACT Greens MLA Deb Foskey introduced into the Assembly today a Bill to establish a container deposit scheme in the ACT.
“Governments around Australia have resisted the reintroduction of container deposit schemes for many years” Dr Foskey said today.
“But the increase in the waste we produce and the generally inadequate level of recycling show that it’s time to change course.”
“Reducing the production of single-use containers minimises land fill space as well as energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from mainly fossil fuel generated power stations, mining activities, metal smelters, canneries, pulp and paper and bottle production facilities.”
“Container deposit legislation plays a key role in reducing that use in SA. And while a national scheme is preferable, the recent plastic bag debacle shows yet again how hard it is to get any environmental action on a national scale.”
“The Greens are introducing a model container deposit scheme in several State and Territory Parliaments with the intention of getting things moving now.”
“My Bill picks up on the work of the Boomerang Alliance and NSW Greens MLC Ian Cohen. If passed the scheme would be triggered by the review of the National Packaging Covenant which will be completed later this year.”
“If, as the packaging industry hopes, we are reaching our recycling targets, then the scheme would not come into force. Recently released information, however, makes it clear that we are lagging a long way behind those targets.”
“I think the ACT could play a positive role in setting the agenda for COAG by implementing our own scheme and thereby giving other jurisdictions a hurry-up to implement their own schemes. We did this with the Human Rights Act, and we should be more proactive in setting the agenda in other areas as well. It’s not good enough to say we can’t act on our own. We can and we should.”
“We must set the ground-rules within which the packaging and beverage companies compete, in order to compel, and hopefully reward environmental and socially responsible business practices” Dr Foskey said.
