Ministers' Packaging Study - deeply flawed

Thursday, 08 December 2011 09:54

The new packaging study released by environment ministers is shockingly biased against a container deposits system (CDS), according to environmental groups.

“We had already warned that the regulatory impact statement approach understates benefits and overstates costs of environmental policies – and this one takes it to a new level. The numbers approach unjustifiably finds a CDS is costly when all the evidence from real life operating CDS shows massive benefits,” said Jeff Angel, National Convenor of the Alliance.

“We appreciate environment ministers’ assurance that non-quantifiable benefits will be taken into account. Nevertheless it’s clear that CDS is the only option that can quickly and sustainably remove an extra 3 billion beverage containers a year from the litter and landfill streams and build a network of recycling depots around Australia for all sorts of waste items, generating jobs and economic opportunity for the financial cost of half a cent a container.”

“The other options in the RIS are based on fantasy targets and dollar numbers because they are theoretical.”

“The RIS also appears to accept that these other options will produce a lot of packaging material that can’t be repeatedly made into containers or other packaging - but will be incinerated. That’s a low quality result.”

Serious flaws

“Major problems we have already identified are:

• The failure to do a financial analysis that reveals the impact on the wallets of industry and consumers, when previous research has shown CDS will cost half a cent a container
• Treating theoretical industry options such as more bins and advertising as having the same validity as proven schemes such as a CDS. A major problem also found by ABARE in its peer review of the RIS.”

“We will ensure the community is advised that the numbers in this report are not a legitimate basis on which environment ministers can reject a CDS. We will be focusing on the community and political campaign – the best container recycling system in the world will only cost half a cent a container and environment ministers should stop doing studies and implement it.”