November 15, 2007

Refunds may soon be allowed on milk jugs
Jeff Holubitsky

EDMONTON - Families may soon be able to collect refunds on their milk jugs, just like they do on pop cans, if the government follows the recommendations of a new report on beverage containers.

"Above all, the committee recognized that primarily this is an environmental issue," Bonnyville-Cold Lake MLA Denis Ducharme, chairman of the standing committee on resources and environment said Thursday in news release. He could not be reached for comment.

Among its recommendations, which would include doubling of returns on pop cans to 10 cents, the report also recommends includes putting redeemable deposits on plastic milk jugs.

The idea stirred controversy at hearings in September because of concerns the proposed refundable deposits would put an additional financial burden on families. Some municipalities were also concerned they would lose the revenue created by collecting the jugs in their recycling programs.

The Alberta Dairy Council currently pays them about $400 a tonne for the jugs and is confident recycling rates for the jugs will increase through education and marketing.

The province is under pressure, however, to reduce the steady stream of trash going into landfills. Recent figures indicate 52 per cent of milk jugs were turned in last year, compared with 92 per cent of glass beer bottles.

"The committee felt that the easier things were on consumers, the higher the return rates would be," Ducharme said. "The committee is recommending the impacts of including milk cartons be monitored closely."

jholubitsky@thejournal.canwest.com