What's Happening in Liverpool, NSW…

The proposed introduction of a container deposit scheme has been described as “long overdue” by a councillor in Liverpool, New South Wales.

Cr Peter Harle said the scheme had operated very successfully during the 1960s and he, for one, had been looking forward to its return.

He said billions of containers that had ended up buried in landfill or floating in rivers and oceans could have possibly been saved for recycling, and dramatically reduced the resources and energy used to make replacements.

The state government announced the return of the scheme recently, saying its aim was to cut recycling costs for councils as well as to reduce litter.

Cr Harle was happy to hear of Premier Mike Baird’s support of the container deposit initiative but said he would wait until it was legislated before celebrating – a move that should coincide with a poster printing campaign to advertise the fact.

The system already operates in the Northern Territory and South Australia, and Cr Harle urged all residents to support it, saying the move would have no effect on the costs of drinks.

He said, however, there were many benefits which included a huge reduction in the number of drink containers being found in recreational areas, rivers, creeks and in landfill each year.

Cr Harle said it was also possible that, depending on the implementation, the initiative could result in the creation of thousands of unskilled jobs.