time for container deposit now, no threat to kerbside collections

report from the roundtable - 11 feb

An extraordinary article appeared in the Mail Newspapers in January, titled “Home recycling pick-up under threat”, the story talked about kerbside recycling under the threat in Yarra Ranges if a Container Deposit Levy (CDL) was introduced.

This astonishing claim was made by the CEO of the National Packaging Covenant Industry Association. In the article Mr Stan Moore said if CDL is introduced it could force Yarra Ranges Shire to reduce or even stop kerbside collection. Mr Moore couldn’t be more wrong.

I’d like to invite Mr Moore to take a quick stroll along our roadsides, reserves and waterways where he can see for himself the amount of beverage containers in our environment, that wouldn’t be in our environment if there was a price attached to them. And who cleans them up, community volunteers and council.

In a submission to the Standing Committee on Environment and Planning in 2011 it was highlighted that it is our estimation that beverage containers account for 15% of litter collected in the Shire’s gross pollutant traps. Fifteen percent might not sound like a lot but that equates to 44 tonnes of beverage containers in any one year.

Yarra Ranges Council has long supported the introduction of CDL because of the many benefits including reducing unsightly and dangerous litter in the environment as well as increasing recycling rates saving both energy and use of raw materials used in the production of packaging.

We do support the introduction of CDL and see it as being complimentary to our kerbside recycling program.

At best it is erroneous to suggest Yarra Ranges Council will abandon our kerbside recycling, at worst it is scaremongering of the very worst order.