06/03/2005 - This year's
Clean Up Australia Day has highlighted the
need for industry to focus on producing goods
that can easily be recycled, Minister for
the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian
Campbell said today.
Senator Campbell is joining volunteers in
stripping dangerous plastic debris from South
Cottesloe Foreshore for Clean Up Australia
Day today.
"It's great to see the strong community
support for Clean Up Australia Day has not
diminished over the years," Senator Campbell
said.
"Clean Up Australia Day is a positive
response to a real problem. We must always
strive to manage waste more efficiently.
"Recycling is the key to reducing the
more than 6 million tonnes of rubbish that
is dumped into the world's oceans each year.
"Australians are world leaders in recycling
some products like newsprint, where about
74 per cent of our newspapers and magazines
are recycled.
"The Australian Government is working
to set new recycling targets in current negotiations
with industry. We also need to help retailers
to cut their dependency on plastic bags. I
will be convening a second roundtable with
retailers shortly to discuss this issue.
"I am keen to look at the design of
packaging and encourage production of goods
that can easily be recycled — for example
putting the recycling symbol on the bottom
of all recyclable products, which is already
done by some manufacturers," he said.
Senator Campbell and local volunteers will
remove rubbish from the coastline in order
to help protect marine animals such as dolphins,
stingrays, crustaceans and the rare leafy
seadragon living along the nearby reef.
"This sort of litter is a major threat
to marine life in the area — fragments of
plastic as small as bottle tops can accumulate
in the stomachs of dolphins, starving the
animals slowly as the litter builds up,"
he said.
"Plastic films, like plastic bags, can
smother coastal habitats, and nets scour substrates
and entangle reef outcrops.
"Every one of us can make a difference
— we just need to re-think where we put our
waste.
"It is up to us all to ensure our consumption
habits don't cost the earth."
