CONTAINER DEPOSITS – NOT JUST ABOUT LITTER

Wednesday, 20 May 2009 22:50

“CDS is not just about litter,” said Jeff Angel, Director of Total Environment Centre. “It lays a sustainable financial basis for convenient drop-off systems for other products like electronic waste that people want recycled.  This already occurs in South Australia where over 24,000 tonnes are collected each year.  Major businesses like Sims and Global Renewables support such a system.

Mr Angel said beverage companies and environment ministers that oppose CDS “are standing in the way of a 21st century recycling system that will collect 11 billion containers a year and hundreds of thousands of tonnes of other products; create over 2,000 jobs and generate over $100 million (net) each year for federal, state and local governments.

“There are no political, economic and environmental downsides to the scheme, and Federal and state environment ministers who are meeting in Hobart this Friday should grasp this opportunity.”

The scheme has the support of key businesses such as SIMs, Global Renewables, and the Australian Battery Recycling Initiative.  Extracts from letters to TEC follow:

Wayne Richardson, President, Australian Battery Recycling Initiative said: “the predominance of kerbside recycling within Australia has meant that the development of convenient and accessible recycling hubs for other items not collected as part of household recycling services has been neglected….computers, electrical appliances, mobile phones, other e-wastes, beverage containers, light globes and plastic bags would benefit from a shared product/shared brand platform for reverse logistics.”

John Lawson, General Manager Development, Global Renewables agreed that “if this return infrastructure is appropriately designed and located, it ….could provide for the efficient consolidation and return of products which are at the same time hazardous and valuable - gas bottles, lead acid batteries, post-consumer pharmaceuticals, household hazardous chemicals, paints and solvents, and so on.”  

Kumar Radhakrisham, Sims, Vice President APAC said “we see no reason why e-waste and beverage container recyclers cannot work together - a system of suburban container depots which could also be used for non-bulky electronic waste such as mobile phones, home telephones, batteries, chargers etc is a welcome idea… and recyclers have the necessary infrastructure to treat this appropriately.”