By XAVIER SMERDON
WYNDHAM residents have taken to the streets to demand a refund on bottles and cans when they are returned to garbage depots.
Members of several Wyndham environment groups held a Walk Against Waste last Monday to coincide with Earth Day.
Werribee River Association president John Forrester said the protestors were asking for both the State and Federal governments to introduce a national container deposit scheme.
“All the evidence shows that container deposit schemes are the best method to significantly reduce plastic waste finding its way into our water ways, oceans and landfill,” Mr Forrester said.
Dr Lindsay Swinden, chairwoman of the Western Region Environment Centre, said the peaceful protest was the beginning of a public campaign to reduce Wyndham’s waste.
“If we can institute a container deposit system we will see a dramatic reduction in the amount of plastic waste in our rivers and oceans,” Ms Swinden said.
“Instead we will be able to recycle the plastic thereby saving the environment, resources and greenhouse emissions. It is a win-win situation.”
The protestors congregated in front of Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s office and presented her staff with a letter calling on the Parliament to introduce the deposit scheme.
Ms Gillard said that she was committed to reducing rubbish and waste in Wyndham and the rest of Australia.
“Addressing the issue of packaging waste and litter is a priority for my government, but a decision on this matter is one for all jurisdictions to make, not just the Federal Government alone,” Ms Gillard said.
“At their meeting on 24 August 2012, State and Federal environment ministers committed to undertaking a Decision Regulatory Impact Statement on the issue, to provide a more detailed analysis of the potential options.
“Regulatory change can only happen once a Decision Regulatory Impact Statement has been completed, so this represents a significant step forward.”
