CDS not the answer to litter reduction, AFGC says

The results of the latest Keep Australian Beautiful National Litter Index (NLI) show that there are better, cheaper and more effective waste reduction alternatives to a container deposit scheme (CDS), the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) claims.

The NLI showed that Victoria had the greatest reduction in litter in 2013. Victoria does not have a CDS, and yet it “outstripped many other states, including South Australia which has a CDS”, the AFGC said.

According to AFGC CEO Gary Dawson, these results highlight the effectiveness and success of current industry-based recycling and litter programs which reduce overall litter by addressing all waste streams.

“Victoria impressively leads the nation in reducing litter with its volume of discarded litter down 17% by item and average volume decreasing by 13%,” Dawson said.

“One of the major reasons for Victoria’s success is its innovative enforcement regulations ensuring that industry, governments and environmental groups like Keep Australia Beautiful work together to reduce litter across all waste streams.

“Victorians benefit from having the world’s best practice kerbside recycling scheme and litter rates that are the best in Australia, with 54% less litter by item and 52% less by volume than the national average.

“Victoria has achieved success without having a CDS, which research has shown to be a much more expensive model and would cost between $1.4 billion and $1.76 billion to set up.

“Alternative plans to improve recycling rates being proposed by industry are 28 times less expensive and include significant funding to community groups and local governments to clean up litter hotspots and, more importantly, keep them clean into the future.”