Container deposit depot closed: UPDATE from Coca Cola

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UPDATE SATURDAY, Aug 24, 8:30am

 
Coca Cola Amatil has provided the following statement: CCA understands that an operator will be establishing a depot in Alice Springs in the near future and we have arrangements in place to deal with them. We agree with the depot operators that the legislation is flawed and that the Government should consult publicly with all parties on its plans to fix it.  If it does not consult it may just make the situation worse.

 
 
By ERWIN CHLANDA
 
Negotiations about a new container deposit system between the Territory Recycling Depot in Smith Street, Alice Springs, and drink manufacturers have broken down.
 
Owner and manager Stewart Pritchard says the interim scheme financed by the NT Government since April came to the end yesterday and no agreement has been reached about its replacement.
 
The depot is closed for stocktake and it is not clear when it will be reopened.
 
Mr Pritchard says the manufactures want the depot to do three times the work for less than what is paid in Adelaide, although the cost of living in Alice Springs is acknowledged as being higher.
 
He says the current offer would need to be doubled for recycling to be resumed.
 
“We refuse to be forced into a situation of losing further money,” he says.
 
Under the NT sponsored scheme there were eight “separations” – clear, green and brown glass, aluminium cans, clear and coloured plastic, liquid paper board and HDPE.
 
The manufacturers would require a total of 24 separations.
 
Mr Pritchard says negotiations are with Statewide (Coca Cola), Marine Stores (Lion Nathan) and Envirobank (Carlton United including VB, Red Bull and others).
 
He says Territory Recycling Depot is a joint venture with the international firm Veolia, based in France, but his opinions are not necessarily those of Veolia.
 
UPDATE FRIDAY 8am
 
A mock invoice for $6m will this morning be presented to Terry Davis, Group Managing Director of Coca Cola Amatil by the Boomerang Alliance, Greenpeace Australia Pacific and Clean Up Australia, in North Sydney.
 
In a letter to Mr Davis they said: “As you know, the Northern Territory has recently received exemption for its Cash for Containers legislation from the provisions of the Mutual Recognition Act.  This effectively nullifies the Federal Court decision of February 2013 which resulted from legal action undertaken by Coca Cola Amatil, Lion Nathan and Schweppes Australia.
“As a result of the Federal Court decision the Northern Territory  government was forced to financially support the Cash for Containers scheme to the tune of about $1million a month since February, when the beverage companies stopped implementing the scheme and its 10 cent refundable deposit.”
 

1 COMMENT

  1. What do the two major political parties contesting the Federal Election have to say on this matter?
    Maybe all political parties should be supporting a national scheme and draft legislation for all types of recyclable containers, packaging and other products.

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