The president of the Cyclists Action Group, based in Cottesloe, Western Australia, believes that the introduction of refunds for glass bottles would contribute in keeping cycle paths clear of broken g…
The president of the Cyclists Action Group, based in Cottesloe, Western Australia, believes that the introduction of refunds for glass bottles would contribute in keeping cycle paths clear of broken glass and therefore reduce dangers to pedestrians. After continuous punctures to his bike tyres caused by glass shards, Bruce Robinson has called for the reintroduction of glass collection and refund system. Robinson spoke to the Community Newspaper Group after seeing dozens of broken and unbroken glass bottles on a cycle path near the Mitchell Freeway. He said a refund of 50c for each glass bottle would stop this littering, and he also suggested 20c for each aluminium can and other containers made of materials such as plastic or cardboard. Robinson said his proposal put the onus on individual purchasers and 50c per glass bottle would be a genuine incentive for people to recycle, while at the moment the costs for recycling bins used in many local government areas were borne by the council and collective ratepayers. At present, the only Australian jurisdiction to offer an incentive for recycling containers is South Australia. There have, in fact, been several attempts to revive the container refund concept in Western Australia but without success.