March 11, 2011

Push for bottle-deposit laws

THE Greens have called on their political opponents to support a plan to establish a state-based container deposit scheme if the Federal Government continues to drag its feet or dumps the proposal.

Greens environment spokeswoman Cassy O'Connor yesterday tabled in State Parliament a two-step plan to speed up the establishment of Container Deposit Legislation.

The proposal calls on Environment Minister Brian Wightman to inform the next federal Ministerial Council that Tasmania will commence developing a state-based deposit scheme if a national commitment is not reached in a predetermined timeframe.

The scheme would require that a deposit be paid on soft drink, juice, milk, water or alcoholic beverage containers.

When the container is returned to an authorised redemption centre, or the original seller, the deposit is partially or completely refunded to the consumer.

The recent Keep Australia Beautiful National Litter Index revealed Tasmanians were the nation's worst litterbugs.

http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2011/03/11/213571_tasmania-news.html