[Greens-Media] Industry trashed on packaging waste: Greens’ container deposit law now

[Nic Clyde]

Media Release from Ian Cohen MLC
Monday 7th April, 2008
 
Industry trashed on packaging waste: Greens’ container deposit law
now
 
Greens MLC Ian Cohen will introduce and debate Container Deposit
Legislation this week in the NSW Upper House, as new information reveals
the failure of a voluntary national recycling scheme.
 
“Self regulation has failed and the credibility of the packaging
industry has now been pulped – it should not be recycled yet again as
it’s clearly contaminated,” said Upper House Greens MP Ian Cohen.
 
“This is an issue that has been debated for years. The community is
ready for container deposit legislation and that is why I will be
introducing and debating my Private Member’s Bill this week.
 
“The Chairman of the National Packaging Covenant Council (NPCC) -
Russell Peel - was on ABC’s AM this morning selling the current
voluntary scheme as a success. How can a scheme that results in glass
being dumped in landfill because it’s cheaper than recycling, be a
success?”
 
“Government and NPCC recycling figures have been suggesting that
recycling rates are at 56%, when the truth appears to be that they’re
closer to 43%. A private consultancy firm’s audit has exposed the
quality of packaging statistics as being about as reliable as Chinese
ministry statements on Tibet.
 
“The community is passionate about recycling. It’s not OK to peddle
dodgy figures on the recovery of packaging waste, inflated by glass
recycled in New Zealand or by including non-packaging waste in the
official figures.
 
“We also need to remember that the NPCC’s now discredited figures
enjoy an additional boost by the inclusion of South Australian
statistics. SA is the only state that has container deposit legislation,
and therefore their excellent resource recovery statistics further mask
failure in the rest of Australia.
 
“My legislation is known as the ‘Waste Avoidance and Resource
Recovery (Container Recovery) Bill 2008’, and I will be asking the
Parliament to respect the wishes of the community on this issue and vote
in favour of the Bill’” said Mr Cohen.
 
Further Information: Ian Cohen: 0409 989 466 or Nic Clyde: 0417 742
754

Nic Clyde
Adviser, Greens MLC Ian Cohen
Macquarie Street, Sydney, 2000
Tel: +61-2-9230 3305, Fax: +61-2-9230 2267
Mobile: 0417 742 754
Web: www.iancohen.org.au