Jeff Angel discussed the Container Deposit Scheme expansion and the REDcycle soft plastic recycling collapse with Melinda James from ABC Illawarra.

With NSW, the ACT, SA and Qld announcing proposed extension of the 10c refund schemes and more jurisdictions to follow – the Boomerang Alliance of 55 NGOs looks forward to hundreds of millions of more drink containers being recycled and an extra $150m each year into the pockets of households and charities in 2023.

The Boomerang Alliance and its allies are calling on the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments to step up action to phase-out polluting single-use plastics and stop greenwash at their 21 October meeting, the first since the election of the ALP government.

Leading Australian environmental groups have urged federal and state governments to target coffee cup pollution, when Australia’s environment ministers meet on Friday 21 October.

Environment, resource recovery and retail industry groups today welcomed NSW government support to increase the types of drinks and containers that will be covered by the successful 10cent refund schemes. They called on all state environment ministers who are meeting next Friday, to move quickly as it makes great recycling, business and community sense to do so.

Businesses will be able to get free advice from environment professionals as the city continues its push to phase out single-use plastics.

In the next two years plastic coffee cups and lids will be subjected to new rules across the European Union and the UK. Some countries such as Germany will be introducing laws that all cafes offer or sell reusable cups and lids. Other countries are planning a levy on all disposable cups and lids.

Darwin’s cafes, restaurants and mobile food vendors are making a significant change to their takeaway menus to help reduce the problem of plastic waste.

Environmentalists today welcomed the forthcoming review of the state’s Container Refund Scheme, calling for root and branch assessment of the governance, consumer convenience and recycling outcomes.

In a seriously short sighted move, the NSW Environment Protection Authority has breached the Parliament’s ban on plastic bowls and plates, by exempting such disposable products that are plastic lined.