Greens environment spokesperson Dr Mehreen Faruqi has welcomed the passing of Container Deposit Scheme legislation in the NSW Parliament as a win for the environment but says she is disappointed that the NSW Government ‘refused to back several sensible amendments that would have strengthened the scheme even further.’
Dr Faruqi said that pollution from plastic and other drink containers causes ‘significant damage to our terrestrial and marine environments, including harm to marine animals and birds.’
‘This is a long overdue step and a great vindication of the decades of work by campaigners and environment groups. The government should be congratulated,’ she said.
‘The Greens are strong supporters of a container deposit scheme, having campaigned for it for a long time as a real solution to reducing litter and increasing recycling.
Ms Faruqi said that while it was ‘a big step forward in waste management in NSW’ she was looking forward to a ban on the use of plastic bags.
‘It is disappointing that the government refused a range of sensible amendments I proposed that would have made the scheme more robust, effective and more convenient for consumers.
But overall she said she was ‘pleased to see the government has stood up to the beverage industry who never wanted a container deposit scheme.’
‘We will be watching the implementation of this scheme carefully to ensure the beverage industry has no undue influence on the roll out of the scheme,’ Ms Faruqi said.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
