Page 2736 - Week 09 - Thursday, 9 August 1990
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couple of years ago. I also understand that in South Australia the Beverage Container Act 1975, which was introduced in 1976, has worked extremely well. I hoped that this issue would have been addressed in the response handed down today. The South Australian Act has consumers pay a refundable deposit on glass, plastic and aluminium cans, with a 90 per cent return rate. In the ACT the amount of glass sold in 1988 was about 12,000 tonnes - and that was quoted in the waste management report - but I think only about 1,230 tonnes was collected for recycling. So we have quite a way to go yet.
However, the recycling of aluminium cans is a much higher rate, at 63 per cent. The difference is probably due to the cash for cans program which is very successful.
In Victoria, the greenspot program has already been launched. It is a consumer awareness program to promote environmentally sound products. In England for many years some supermarkets have charged for plastic bags. In Victoria the Just Fresh chain pays customers 3c for every plastic bag that they bring to re-use. I understand that at least a couple of the Shoprite stores do a similar thing here.
A member: Superbarn.
MRS NOLAN: Superbarn, is it? A couple have just introduced a similar scheme here. While the mention of the greenspot labelling in today's response was very welcome, I am hopeful that it will become a national program, as it has been operating now for some time in Victoria.
Mr Acting Speaker, an efficient recycling industry can reduce the amount of waste, but we must also cut down the amount created. Governments must consider changing public perception by action that is more than strategy, which allows each member of the community to see the end benefit.
There are a couple of other points that I wanted to make, and one goes back to the response to the inquiry into commercial waste management and the proposal to investigate and report on the possibility of methane extraction plants being installed at both landfill sites. We all recognise the contribution that methane gas makes to the greenhouse effect, and I think that is something that should be done posthaste. It was very welcoming to see that mentioned in the report this morning. I understand that if we are considering setting up a new landfill site at any time it will be considered.
The other point that I want to make concerns the article in today's Canberra Times under the heading "Differing ideas on greenhouse" and the differing views coming from two groups - the Federal and State energy Ministers and their environment colleagues - about targets for reduction in national greenhouse emissions. (Extension of time granted) I would like to comment about these two reports, but
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