Let’s be clear, The Packaging Forum does not support bottle taxes and here’s why:
People don’t want to pay more for their food and groceries – those calling for 10 cents on a drinks container are also calling for 10 cents on coffee cups and 10 cents on all plastic packaging...these taxes would increase the cost of food and groceries.
Here are some facts:
Over 69% beverage containers are already recycled in NZ. This number understates the recovery of plastic bottles because it doesn’t include commercial collections and the hospitality sector.
Drinks containers make up around 11% of litter so drinks bottle taxes won’t solve the litter problem.
Introducing a 10cents deposit on drinks bottles would cost $75 million per year according to economic consultancy Covec
This will put the cost of goods up because industry will pass on additional cost as has happened in the Northern Territories.
There will be an additional cost of $3.50 cents per container on top of the 10 cents deposit which people can redeem
Back in the 1970’s when there were container deposits in NZ there was no kerbside collection. Countries which have container deposits like Germany typically don’t have kerbside collection.
Over 96% New Zealanders have access to kerbside recycling or community recycling Overlaying a new system on an existing system which is working just adds costs which research shows people don’t want to pay for their beverage containers
The majority of people polled say they don’t want to pay 10 cents extra on a drinks container.
Our 69% recycling rate for drinks containers is comparable with places like New York and Hawaii that have bottle taxes. Voluntary investment to increase recycling facilities in public places and community/retail drop off recycling programmes is already increasing the recycling of plastic bottles and cans, and investment in resource recovery facilities in targeted regions and sectors will increase recycling without the exorbitant cost of CDS.
