Murray Shire Council Joins Call for Sustainable Recycling
Murray Shire Council has joined the Local Government and Shires Associations of NSW and Clean Up Australia in calling for the urgent introduction of beverage Container Deposits.
Ministers of the Environmental Protection and Heritage Council will meet on 22 May 2009 to consider programs to address packaging waste, and Murray Shire Mayor, Councillor Brian Sharp, believes that it is essential for Murray Shire's environmental and financial future that they seriously consider Container Deposit Legislation (CDL).
"The current arrangement relies on the National Packaging Covenant, which is based on councils and their communities carrying the cost of collecting, transporting and procesing recyclable material," he said.
"Given today's economic climate, these containers are effectively worthless, which means that each household in this community has to kick in around $50 every year to cover the costs.
"We strongly urge the State Government to introduce a container deposit or refund system, which means that every container is worth 10 cents in the recyling process - effectively paying for itself.
"It is time the producers of these containers took more responsibility for the costs associated with cleaning up the litter they create while they generate their profits, and this system would do that.
"They're getting a free ride on the back of our community and organisations like Clean Up Australia and this has to stop now."
Amidst industry-generated claims that CDL would undermine kerbside collections, Cr Sharp points to the fact that CDL and kerbside have co-existed and operated successfully in South Australia since the mid 1970s.
"If CDL really jeopardised kerbside, you can be sure we'd be saying so, loudly," he said.
Cr Bruce Miller, President of the Shires Association of NSW, said that Local Government strongly supports the CDL legislation.
"It's a cost effective, high return system that has proven itself in Europe, the US and Canada as well as Australia," he said.
"The CDL system would allow Murray Shire Council to ensure a comprehensive recycling program, virtually gauranteeing high return rates of 70-85% of well sorted materials.
"This is a big winner over the Covenant, in which only 50% or less of the containers are returned."
"We hope that on 22 May, Ministers will finally heed the call of Local Government, community organisations and the Environmental Movement and apply some clear thought to the matter of CDL and introduce it as a matter of urgency."
Contact details
Murray Shire Council
Tel: 03 5884 3302
admin@murray.nsw.gov.au
