BOOMERANG ALLIANCE MEDIA RELEASE: 3 September 2007

A scare campaign being led by the beverage industry is based on
misleading claims and will leave WA the worst recyclers in Australia.

The Boomerang Alliance a coalition of leading environment groups and
supported by community groups including the Scouts, Apex Clubs, and the
Uniting Church, rejected the beverage industries claims, complaining
that their campaign was misleading and untrue.

“The beverage industry is calling container deposits a tax which is
simply ridiculous. It’s a deposit not a tax. It doesn’t cost consumers
a cent if they do the right thing and return their used beverage
containers” said Dave West, spokesperson for the Boomerang Alliance of
environment groups and local government.

West questioned how the industry group substantiated their claim
that a carton of beer would rise by $10 and called on them to back up
their misleading claims.

“The beverage industries claims about the cost of container deposits
are ridiculous and untrue. They say the government is going to
introduce a 20cent deposit, and to the best of our knowledge it will be
either the same amount as South Australia, which is currently 5¢ and
might rise to 10¢. A 5¢ deposit increases the shelf price for a carton
of beer by between $1.20 and $1.40 (24 cans X 5¢ deposit plus a
potential handling fee charged to industry of approx. 1¢ per can).
That’s based on our own analysis which is fully costed and externally
verified. And then the consumer is refunded their deposit – this is
effectively a cost neutral system for the consumer.”

“For the beverage industry to claim a price rise of $10 for a slab
of beer is nothing short of a lie. This is not a tax. It’s a common
sense environmental measure used throughout the world to get high
recycling rates”, said Mr West.

“The only people who need to be concerned about the cost are the
people who litter and pollute – if you dump your drink bottle in the
ocean or you throw it into the park, sure then it’s going to cost you.
That’s the whole point - to make the polluter pay”
“The WA community want clean streets. They don’t want broken bottles
littering cycle paths, streams and beaches. South Australia recycles
85% of its bottles and cans, WA recycles only 18% of its glass bottles
and even less of its plastic bottles”, said Mr West.

“Over 90% of the WA community want the government to introduce a
South Australian style deposit system on cans and bottles and are happy
to play their part in returning their containers. The beverage industry
is intent on destroying that. This is a campaign to put political
pressure on the Carpenter government, because industry knows it can’t
win its argument on merit”

“The WA government claims that it’s cleaning up corruption and
reducing the influence of the vested industry interests in government
decision making. If Premier Carpenter is serious about honesty and
transparency in government he must stand up to the bully boy tactics of
a small vested interest. With climate change and water scarcity now top
issues for the community decisive action by government on environment
issues is needed, the only reason why you wouldn’t introduce container
deposits is because you’re scared of these bullies.”

“A simple system of deposits on containers will do a lot to protect
WA’s environment and show that this government is serious about looking
after the community and the environment, not narrow self interest, said
Mr West.

More information: Dave West 0404 093718; Robbie Kelman 0423 573278

THE FACTS:CONTAINER DEPOSITS IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA

- Container Deposit Systems will not hurt kerbside recycling in fact
it will pour at least $5million p.a. into kerbside (a saving of about
25% on the current costs);
- The net cost of container deposits will be around $34 per tonne
compared to a current $197 a tonne to undertake kerbside recycling;
- Container Deposits will see the injection of at least $130million
into the WA economy, and see over 150 new resource recovery points
established across Western Australia;
- 41,000 WA homes will have access to recycling for the first time;
- 550-600 new jobs mostly in rural and regional WA;
- Waste to landfill will be reduced by over 7%;
- A 25% reduction in litter;
- Enough water savings to supply over 7,000 Perth homes;
- Greenhouse Gas reductions equivalent to switching over 10,448 homes to 100% renewable energy
- Energy savings equivalent to burning over 200,000 tonnes of coal;
- Air quality improvements similar to taking 28,052 cars off the road.
Groups that have pledged their support for the introduction of Container Deposits in Western Australia.

Major Community Groups:

Apex Clubs WA
Australian Conservation Foundation
Clean Up Australia
Conservation Council of WA
Environment Defenders Office
Friends of the Earth Australia
Greenpeace Australia Pacific
Oxfam Australia
Scouts WA
The Wilderness Society
WA Local Government Association
Doctors for the Environment
The Uniting Church in Western Australia, Social Justice Commission
Lions Australia District 201W2

Local Community Groups:

Men of the Trees (WA)
Friends of the Fitzgerald River National Park
South-West Forests Defense Foundation
Nature Reserves Preservation Group
West Australian Naturalists’ Club
Margaret River Regional Environment Centre
Peel Preservation Group
Midland Frogs
Cape Conservation Group
Environs Kimberley
Pollution Action Network
Environment House
River Conservation Society
Friends of the Moore River Estuary
Balingup Friends of the Forest
Canning River Residents Environment Protection Association
Care for Hedland Environmental Association
The Rottnest Society
Leeuwin Environment
Darling Range Wildlife Shelter
WA Native Orchid Study and Conservation Group
Shore Landscapes
Busselton-Dunsborough Environment Centre
Pilbara Wildlife Carers Association
Tangaroa Blue
Walpole Nornalup National Parks Association
The Geographic Society of WA
Urban Bushland Council WA
Alliance for a Clean Environment
Fathom 5 Marine Research
WA Forest Alliance
City Farm Perth
Naragebup Rockingham Regional Environment Centre
Denmark Environment Centre
Bicycle Transportation Alliance
Denmark Conservation Society
Wildflower Society
Sustainable Transport Coalition
Stirling Coast Care
Bridgetown Greenbushes Friends of the Forest
Waste Activists WA
Wonderful Ways with Waste

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See here for more supporters of the Containere Deposit System for WA...