UPDATE 2008

[1] SA up to 10 cents

In February, The South Australian Government confirmed its intention to increase its refund for cans and bottles up to ten (10) cents. In announcing this, Premier Mike Rann, said "our aim is to ensure that every container specified under South Australia's Container Deposit Legislation is recycled".

[2] Public support'

On February 28, we published in the Melbourne Age, a list of 218 community groups from across the State that support the introduction of a container deposit system in Victoria. This list demonstrated the diversity of support in the community for container deposits.

The list of community groups below is further evidence of how much public support CDL has in Victoria".

Many of the groups do volunteer work cleaning up litter. They are very familiar with the problem of drink container litter and want a proven solution introduced. (To view list see 'Public support' on Homepage)

[3] Clean Up Australia Day

According to Ian Kiernan one third of the 7000 tonnes of rubbish collected this year was bottles and cans. Despite plentiful evidence like this industry representatives still insist that drink containers are less than 10% of the litter stream.

[4] Scare tactics

Three articles about drink container litter appeared in the Melbourne Age around Clean Up Australia Day. The first article included Craig Ingram's call for CDL.

Corporate Affairs Director of Lion Nathan, James Tait responded by saying that a container deposit system could add more than 10% to a family's weekly grocery bill.
This is certainly not the first time that industry has misrepresented the effects of a deposit system.

[5] Bi-partisan political support in Victoria

On March the 11th we were present when a photo was taken, on the steps of Parliament, of State Parliamentarians that support the introduction of a container deposit system. All political parties were represented.

AFROCAB supplied the bottles and cans seen in the foreground of the photo which appeared in the Herald Sun on March 12. We would like to thank Craig Ingram for organising this important gathering.

[6] Congratulations to the Country Women's Association

In May, the State Conference of the Victorian CWA unanimously passed a motion in support of the introduction of a container deposit system. This reflects their familiarity with this problem in rural Victoria and their understanding of the fundraising benefits of a deposit system for community groups. Well done!

[7] Senate Investigation

The Senate Standing Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts is currently holding an inquiry into the management of Australia's waste streams. Part of the inquiry was consideration of the Drink Container Recycling Bill 2008. Family First Senator Steve Fielding put up this Private Members Bill aimed at introducing a National Container Deposit system. AFROCAB made a submission and was invited to a public hearing in Melbourne.

[8] State Container Deposit Bill

The Victorian Greens are planning to introduce their own Container Deposit Bill into the Victorian State Parliament later this year.

[9] Local Government support grows

There are now 6 Councils in Victoria that we know about that support CDL. They are:
City of Maroondah, Golden Plains Shire, Shire of Cardinia, Shire of Pyrennes, Shire of Southern Grampians and the Shire of Yarra Ranges.

On March 18, MAV President Dick Gross issued a press release suggesting Councils take a cautious approach to CDL. Unfortunately, his arguments are misleading. They contain factual errors and rely on opinions which now are considered to be incorrect.

[10] Recycling Sham

On April 15 the Herald Sun reported that recycling rates for bottles and cardboard had been vastly overstated by hundreds of thousands of tonnes, by the National Packaging Covenant Council.

In November there is a mid term review of the National Packaging Covenant where progress towards recycling targets will be assessed. The Herald Sun said, "an alliance of environmental groups claimed that industry has knowingly been using the wrong figures for years as part of a strategy to dodge increased government controls".

[11] Coke ban

The ethical investment arm of the Uniting Church has removed Coca Cola Amatil from its list of recommended investments because of its move into the beer market.

[12] Branded Litter Study

In 2006, Keep Australia Beautiful undertook a Branded Litter Study, where company brand names were recorded. KAB indicated that the results would be published when the study was completed. When completed, KAB revealed the results to the companies that featured prominently. However, now KAB say those companies do not want them to publish the results.

It is reported that this study was in part, publicly funded. If this is correct, KAB should release the results.

[13] Well done Diageo!

In February, Diageo, one of the world's 150 largest companies, announced its support for beverage container deposits in Australia. It is good to see a beverage company being part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

We think it's time that all beverage companies showed some interest in sustainable business practices and in encouraging recycling as a means of reducing greenhouse gases.

[14] Legal action

In the Age on June 11 it was reported that 2 American Conservation groups plan to sue to protect Polar Bears from oil exploration and drilling off Alaska's coast under the Endangered Species Act.

Maybe it's time that packaging and beverage companies were sued on behalf of the inhabitants of our waterways for opposing litter reforms that would remove their cans and bottles from our creeks and rivers.

[15] Litter Review

In our 2007 update we mentioned the Review of the Victorian Litter strategy. After much waiting Cheryl Batagol of Sustainability Victoria revealed on August the 29th that the review has been shelved in favour of a yet to be formulated National Litter Strategy.

This decision may get SV out of a difficult situation given the 25% of submissions calling for the introduction of Container Deposit Legislation and that a further 13% called for a review of the impacts of introducing a Container Deposit System in Victoria. As a result SV's Review of the Victorian Litter Strategy has become a very expensive white elephant.

[16] The Centre for Responsible Hydration

Are you wondering who or what 'The Centre for Responsible Hydration' is? We were too. They make Glaceau Vitamin Water.

The Centre for Responsible Hydration is an alias for our good friends at Coca-Cola Amatil. This provides the ideal introduction to item 18 below.

[17] Canadian City bans bottled Water

On August 21 the Age reported that the Canadian City of London Ontario has halted sales of bottled water at all of its municipal facilities. It said similar bans were being considered elsewhere in the country amid a backlash against the higher cost and environmental impact of bottled water. Environmentalists say bottled water produces 150 times more greenhouse gases to distribute than tap water.

London City Council voted 14-3 in favour of the ban despite beverage industry protests. This does not seem surprising given that bottled water sales in Canada topped $A745 million in 2007.

[18] Senate Inquiry Update

On September 3rd the Senate Environment, Communications and Arts Committee tabled its report into Australia's Waste Streams. (This included its consideration of the Drink Container Recycling Bill 2008)

Recommendations 5 & 6 of the report suggested that Container Deposit Schemes and other measures, be referred to the Environment Protection and Heritage Council, for analysis and consideration.

This 'Yes Minister'/ Sir Humphrey Appleby style response, we feel is further evidence that both the major parties are still using delaying tactics to avoid acting on CDL.

In his Dissenting Report Senator Fielding said, "The Australian debate over Container Deposit Schemes has seen a myriad of inquiries leading to little action. Family First's Bill should not be delayed for the Environment Protection and Heritage Council to complete yet another review".

[19] National Recycling Week

To mark National Recycling Week (November 10-15) we decided to recognise those that have had significant impacts on recycling in Australia.We have called our Awards the 'Getting it Right' and 'Getting it Wrong' Awards.

The 'Getting it Right' Award went to the South Australian Government for its decision to increase its refund on drink containers to 10 cents. This is expected to push its already very high recycling rates up to over 90%.

The 'Getting it Wrong' Award went to Visy Industries who make most of our plastic PET drink bottles and about half or our aluminium cans. The award is for their steadfast opposition to the introduction of a South Australian style container deposit system. They oppose it even though a very large % of the 3 billion cans and bottles that they make every year ending up either in our landfills or littering our country instead of being recycled.