Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I genuinely want to compel all senators to support this motion by the Australian Senate. The Australian Senate's Environment and Communications References Committee has done two absolutely critical reports collecting evidence from all around the country on issues relating to waste and the toxic tide of marine plastics. We know that we can remove nearly half the plastic stream that goes into our beaches and waterways in Australia by having a container deposit scheme that actually collects bottles and cans and gets recycling rates up over 80 per cent. This creates money for the community and jobs across the community, and it solves an environmental problem.

Many of us grew up with these cans and bottle schemes as kids. We know how they work. The only reason we don't have one around the country at the moment is the big power of corporations like Coca-Cola, Schweppes and others who have lobbied against this.

The community wants this. I urge the Senate to send a strong message to my home state of Tasmania and to Victoria to implement these schemes; otherwise, we need to do it here federally in the federal parliament.