East Waste wants wine and spirit bottles added to the state’s container deposit scheme
East Waste wants wine and spirit bottles added to the container deposit scheme, after an audit found the average household in Adelaide’s east puts more than 21kg of wine bottles in its recycling bin each year.
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Wine and spirits bottles should be added to the state’s container deposit scheme to cut down on dumping costs and improve recycling rates, according to East Waste.
East Waste – a subsidiary of seven metropolitan councils – is concerned that the bottles often break in bins, contaminating other recyclables such as paper and cardboard.
The call comes after the company conducted its biggest kerbside bin audit late last year, which found that on average, households disposed of more than 21kg of wine bottles a year.
East Waste chair Fraser Bell said the audit’s findings demonstrated a “strong case for improved glass recycling”, like wine bottles.
“It’s a logical extension of a scheme that promotes resource recovery,” Mr Bell said.
“Wine and spirit bottles are just as recyclable as beer bottles.
“Glass is an excellent recyclable product, and SA has a fantastic need for wine bottles.”
Nearly 30 tonnes of rubbish, taken from 2143 bins across 700 households, was analysed in the audit.
The Local Government Association of South Australia has also been calling for wine bottles to be included in the container deposit scheme.
LGA president Sam Telfer saidmore than half of all glass in recycling bins was wine bottles.
“Including wine bottles in the container deposit scheme would help to reduce the amount of glass in the kerbside recycling bin and increase the amount of glass being recovered,” Mr Telfer said.
“If glass breaks in the waste collection trucks, it loses its value and contaminates other materials.”
The State Government launched a review into the scheme – which grants 10c refunds when certain drink containers are returned to depots – in January last year.
An Environment Protection Authority spokesman said a discussion paper assessing possibly including wine and spirit bottles in the scheme was being developed.
He expected community consultation on the paper to be held later this year.
South Australian Wine Industry Association chief executive Brian Smedley is concerned the move would require costly new labels on wine bottles.
“The costs associated with the inclusion of new kinds of containers would be significant and it’s probably cost prohibitive for the wine industry,” Mr Smedley said.
“Instead of narrowly focusing on the container deposit scheme, we should be having a conversation about the recycling industry.”
Meanwhile, the bin audit also revealed more than half of all material in general waste bins could have been recycled or composted.
Mr Bell said if all organics were diverted from landfill it would save all member councils $2.7 million a year in total.
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Mr Bell said it was also “staggering” the audit revealed 75 per cent of all food waste was edible when thrown out.
“The findings tell us clearly that diverting food waste from landfill is our greatest opportunity to reduce costs to councils and the community while reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.