Stories from Our Biosphere
Cash for Containers
Scheme to clean up Noosa
NCBA has supported the move to a container deposit scheme involving itself with allies in campaigns and rallies on local beaches.
Our allies Boomerang Alliance, Wildlife Qld and Sunshine Coast Environment Council all called on the Qld Government to take action and called for a bi-partisan approach.
The Queensland government just announced it will “examine what a container deposit scheme (CDS) in the state could look like” and prepare for a public consultation later this year. It also agreed to observe the NSW CDS design process. Given Queensland’s growing reputation as the most littered state in Australia, its move is a very necessary step. A 10 cents deposit scheme on bottles and cans would dramatically reduce litter and pollution in our biosphere and across the state.
Queensland is the only state where the incidence of litter is increasing, while the state’s recycling performance has been dropping steadily. Litter, particularly plastics, is not only an eyesore it is also deadly to marine life. The impact on marine life is disastrous. 30% of turtle deaths in Moreton Bay are attributable to plastic ingestion. According to reef scientists even corals face ‘slow starvation’ from eating micro-plastics!
Recent clean-up data shows that the incidence of litter in Queensland is over 40% higher than the national average with beverage containers and plastic packaging representing the bulk of that rubbish. Introducing a Cash For Containers scheme will dramatically reduce litter and pollution. We also know 86% of Queenslanders support the scheme (Newspoll, Jan/Feb 2015). . bans on plastic bags and immediate action on micro-beads. . bans on plastic bags and immediate action on micro-beads.
Glen Elmes states “Community groups in the Noosa Electorate will have the opportunity to organise community clean-up events and cash in containers through the scheme to aid fundraising efforts for other activities.”
“It’s estimated that Queensland community groups could claim over $25 million from deposits and handling fees, and create hundreds of new jobs across the state in the recycling sector.”
“This is a landmark decision to clean-up and better protect our environment,” Mr Elmes said.
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