Federal Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, the Hon Peter Garrett, has launched a recycling initiative which, once rolled out nationally, will divert more than 600 tonnes of beverage containers from landfill each year.
Visitors to Westfield shopping centre food courts across Australia will soon be able to recycle their bottles and cans and keep them out of landfill with the introduction of new recycling bins designed for beverage containers.
Westfield will install new recycling systems in up to 35 centres over the next 12 months thanks to a partnership between industry and government under the National Packaging Covenant.
Funding partners include the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC), National Packaging Covenant Industry Association, state governments in the ACT, NSW, QLD, SA, VIC and WA and the Coca-Cola system in Australia.
After a successful trial initiated by Coca-Cola and supported by Visy Recycling, Asset Link Services and Westfield in four of the Group’s centres earlier this year, Westfield has committed to rollout new recycling systems that include improved signage and bins, as well as upgraded “back of house” waste management systems.
The rollout of this program nationally will mean more than 600 tonnes of bottles and cans will be diverted from landfill every year, that’s equivalent to 150,000 full shopping trolleys.
The project will be implemented by either installing new systems or modifying already existing systems with the first phase to be rolled out in selected NSW Westfield centres by June 2010.
A recent study[1] by the AFGC’s Packaging Stewardship Forum has shown that while the recovery of beverage containers from Australian households is high (ranging from 75-85%), the recovery of beverage containers consumed away from the home is much lower (ranging from 18-32%).
Every bottle or can recycled reduces the impact of greenhouse gases on the environment. The aluminium, glass and plastic materials in the beverage containers will be recycled to be used in other products such as carpets, fabrics and of course, more beverage containers.
AFGC Chief Executive Kate Carnell says: “This is an excellent example of the types of proactive programs industry is undertaking to address the issue of packaging product stewardship. It shows that great things can be achieved through partnerships between industry and government.”
Sue O’Malley, Westfield General Manager Facilities and Operations says, “This is an incredibly positive step in streamlining our customer recycling processes in centre.
"In the past recycling facilities varied from centre to centre, but by rolling out this program our centres will benefit from a more consistent system that will be an across-the-board improvement on current practices.”
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