THERE are growing concerns there will be no collection points in Orange to deposit bottles and cans for recycling when the State Government’s Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) kicks in next month.
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The litter reduction scheme was announced by Environmental Minister Gabrielle Upton earlier in the year, and is scheduled to begin on December 1.
It has led to a price rise in beer, pre-mixed spirits, soft drinks and water products since November 1, when the Government began charging wholesalers a levy of between 13 and 15 cents per bottle or can.
Beer has risen in price by up to $5 a carton since then as retailers have been forced to pass the cost on to consumers.
In just two weeks those same consumers will, in accordance with the scheme’s timetable, be able to recoup 10 cents for every container through the use of reverse vending machines.
These collection points can either refund the money into a Paypal account, donate it to charity, or print a voucher to be used at a wholesale partner such as Woolworths.
A Woolworths spokesman confirmed to the Central Western Daily earlier in the week the grocery giant would host the container deposit location in Orange, but it was undecided how many recycling points there would be in the city or where they would be located.
When the CDS was rolled out a Government spokesperson said there would be “a collection point in each regional town that has a population of more than 1000 people, and an additional collection point for every additional 20,000 people”.
According to that criteria Orange can expect at least two recycling locations.
Reader Tim Mackin commented at www.centralwesterndaily.com.au that the CDS “smells of just another tax grab”.
“The fact that we are about two weeks away from supposedly being able to claim our recycling refund and there's been no word about where we can do it makes it seem like the recycling aspect of the scheme is half-hearted at best, while the tax part was implemented weeks ago,” he wrote.