NSW has reached a significant milestone during National Recycling Week, chalking up over 4.5 billion containers and bottles recycled since the introduction of the state's return and earn scheme.
The scheme has contributed to a 40 per cent annual reduction in drink container litter and seen more than 420,000 tonnes of material recycled in the state since it launched in December 2017, Environment Minister Matt Kean said.
"In the first six months of this year, three out of every four eligible bottles and cans supplied in the state were returned through the scheme for recycling," Mr Kean said.
"These drink containers are now destined for use as a sustainable alternative, instead of littering our streets."
The scheme is part of Australia's largest waste and recycling initiative, with more than 3.6 million tonnes of waste diverted from landfill in NSW since it was introduced in 2012, Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment James Griffin said.
Electric vehicle tax 'madness'
Putting a usage charge on electric cars to make up losses in fuel tax would be "madness" and stunt the take up of the vehicles in NSW, the Electric Vehicle Council says. The NSW Treasurer yesterday announced a plan to make electric vehicle users pay "a fair and equitable share" for their use of the road.
"You don't want to stifle new technology, but on the other hand it's hardly fair for tradies in utes to pay a tax that someone who can afford a $100,000 hi-tech car does not," Dominic Perrottet told the Australian.
He said the fuel excise tax is currently used to pay for road transport infrastructure, and the income stream would need to be replaced as electric vehicle use grows.
We should be doing everything possible to encourage people to switch to electric vehicles
EVC chief executive Behyad Jafari
But with electric vehicles currently only making up 0.6 per cent of car sales in Australia, EVC chief executive Behyad Jafari says now is not the time to introduce a tax.
"NSW is already languishing up the back of the pack in the global race toward electric vehicles. Mr Perrottet now wants to blow out our tyres," he said in a statement.
"At this point in our history, when we should be doing everything possible to encourage people to switch to electric vehicles, this tax would be pure poison."
Non-viral jokes
Why did the woman go outdoors with her purse open? Because she expected some change in the weather.
What's the difference between weather and climate? You can't weather a tree, but you can climate.
