After collecting thousands of pieces of litter this morning from the Doctors Rocks foreshore near Wynyard in Braddon, the Greens are calling for all candidates standing in the Braddon by-election to back in a ‘cash for containers’ scheme.

Greens candidate for Braddon, Jarrod Edwards, said that “Tassie and Victoria are shags on a rock. As the only states that haven’t committed to a container deposit scheme we’re starting to look silly.
“The recycling industry is in crisis as a result of China’s decision to stop taking low-quality material.

“A recent senate inquiry initiated and chaired by the Greens unanimously recommended a nationwide container deposit scheme. The inquiry highlighted the benefits of container deposits including that unredeemed deposits collected by recyclers provided ‘insurance’ against volatile international markets.

“Container deposits are a winner for everyone. It reduces litter, it increases recycling, it creates jobs and it provides security for the industry.”

An analysis undertaken by the Greens shows that a container deposit scheme in Tasmania would create an additional $2 million per year in revenue for the local recycling industry from the sale of recovered aluminium, glass and plastic.

Greens spokesperson for waste and recycling, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said that “container deposits are a money spinner. Container deposits increases the amount of material collected and it increases the quality of material collected.

“Cleaning the stream is critical to the future of recycling. Container deposits are much better quality than kerbside and worth more as a result. But container deposits also help improve the quality of kerbside by reducing the amount of glass in kerbside.

“It’s no surprise that South Australia has the highest recycling rates in the country and the strongest recycling industry in the country. It’s high time all Tassie politicians stood up to the beverage industry and did what’s good for the economy and the environment,” he concluded.

Additional revenue by waste stream
Aluminium: $1,003,368
Glass: $699,790
PET: $287,800
HDPE: $25,700
Total: $2,016,970

Assumptions
– Tasmania’s beverage recycling rate reaching the same rate as South Australia for aluminium, glass, PET and DHPE, being an increase from 53% to 83%.
– Current prices for kerbside and high quality scrap material.
Greens candidate for Braddon, Jarrod Edwards