Page 2143 - Week 10 - Thursday, 26 October 1989
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been introduced into some other supermarkets in Canberra. What guarantees can the Minister give the Assembly that the Government, through the authority, will promote the use of glass bottles in Canberra and will give at least equal emphasis to the use of the recyclable 600ml bottles? Does the Minister acknowledge that it is far preferable to the community for the community to purchase the 600ml reusable milk bottle rather than the one litre non-reusable bottle?
MR WHALAN: We often find that one solution to a particular environmental problem in itself creates further problems which have to be addressed. We acknowledge and recognise as an environmental problem the fact that there are produced through the garbage tins of Canberra hundreds of thousands of two litre plastic bottles, which are in no way recyclable, other than by those people who hopefully fill them up with water thinking they will discourage dogs from wetting on their front lawns - another one of the great urban myths.
At the same time the cardboard cartons used for the smaller sized container provide similar problems. They are largely not recyclable, they use up our limited timber resources and they create a problem. If we are going to solve these problems by encouraging people to use recyclable containers, the question then arises as to which is the best way to achieve that recycling.
At this point of time, through the experiments which we have undertaken in the ACT in relation to milk containers, the smaller container is recycled after cleaning. The larger container is recycled by being destroyed and melted down and then recycled after remanufacturing.
The three processes involve using the non-recyclable plastic and cardboard containers, the washed bottles approach or the breakdown and remanufacture approach.
Mr Humphries: Which is the most expensive?
MR WHALAN: I would expect that the breakdown and remanufacture would be the most expensive in terms of cost to the consumer. There are certain advantages - environmental advantages - because the components which are used to wash and sterilise the 600ml bottles enter the system. They include chemicals which do not necessarily break down readily, they create costs and they enter the ecosystem through that process. So there are advantages and disadvantages in all those processes. The matter is under continual review and I think we should congratulate the Milk Authority on its initiatives in this direction.
Mr Humphries: So what is the answer to my question?
MR WHALAN: What was the question?
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