[Greens-Media] Drink deposits needed to clean up the Dirty Dozen

[Elizabeth.Ingham at parliament.vic.gov.au]

The Annual Litter Index released today by Keep Australia Beautiful shows 
that a 10c deposit on drink bottles, cans and cartons is needed to clean 
up the 'dirty dozen' of litter, says Greens MLC Colleen Hartland.

"Keep Australia Beautiful released their National Litter Index today.*  In 
their famous 'dirty dozen' for Victoria (the top twelve items littered by 
volume) seven of the twelve would have been covered by drink container 
deposit legislation.  They are soft drinks in plastic, metal, glass and 
cartons, alcoholic drinks in glass and metal, and disposable plastic water 
bottles, which have a whole category of their own", said Colleen Hartland 
MLC

"This compares with South Australia, which only has two beverage 
containers in the 'dirty dozen', and that includes wine which is not part 
of their deposit scheme.  Their deposit scheme cleans up the rest."

"The general trend is that litter is decreasing, which is good news.   The 
big exceptions are our beaches and at retail sites, where 'reverse vending 
machines' to redeem a 10c deposit on drink containers would go a long way 
to decrease litter."

"The Victorian government is refusing to debate the Greens 10c drink 
container deposit legislation after it was passed by the Upper House in 
Victoria.  Today's figures show that the Premier needs to change his 
mind."

"A 10c deposit would turn litterers into recyclers.  It makes cents," said 
Ms Hartland

For comment: Colleen Hartland - 9689 6373

* Keep Australia National Litter Index (Annual Report 2008/9) - 
http://www.kab.org.au/files/NLI/6584_-_kab_-_nli_-__report_-_2008-09_-_july_09_-_final.pdf

**********************
Liz Ingham
Office of Colleen Hartland MLC
Western Metropolitan Region

A: 75 Victoria Street, Seddon 3011
P: 9689 6373
M: 0409 333 595
F: 9689 6227
E: elizabeth.ingham at parliament.vic.gov.au
W: http://mps.vic.greens.org.au
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