The Tasmanian Greens today called on the Labor Party to help address the state’s appalling litter problem by supporting the Greens’ push for state-based Container Deposit Legislation (CDL).
Greens Environment spokeswoman Cassy O’Connor MP backed calls by the Premier Lara Giddings MP for Tasmanians to get involved in National Clean Up Australia Day, but said that the Premier could go further and encourage her Labor colleagues at a state and national level to take action on plastic waste reduction and CDL.
Ms O’Connor also renewed calls for the Environment Minister, Brian Wightman, to provide a clear timeframe by which he will implement the commitment made to Parliament in 2010 to ban non-biodegradable plastic bags in Tasmania.
“Tasmania has the worst litter rates in the nation, and the Greens believe that a container deposit scheme along with a ban on plastic bags would go a long way to making sure that our clean, green reputation matches the reality,” Ms O’Connor said.
“Labor has been using the tired excuse of waiting for action at the national level on container deposit reform, which is the same excuse used by successive Labor Environment Ministers for taking no action at all.”
“There’s nothing preventing Tasmania implementing its own deposit scheme in the absence of a national policy, as a simple and effective measure to reduce the impact of waste plastics on our world-famous natural environment.”
“Non-biodegradable plastic bags can take up to 1000 years to break down, and their terrible effect on wildlife is well documented, especially in marine environments, where animals often become tangled in plastic or are found dead after having ingested plastic bags.”
“Tasmania’s poor performance in Keep Australia Beautiful’s National Litter Index shows we need to get on top of cultural bad habits when it comes to managing waste, which is why the Greens will continue to push for these important measures to truly keep Tasmania beautiful,” Ms O’Connor said.
