Riders could have more air in their tyres more often as the Victorian Government moves towards the introduction of a container deposit scheme.
The empty beer bottle that ends up as glass shards in your tyre will be worth ten cents for recycling.
That must surely mean less of that ugly crunching sound that precedes a deflating hiss.
Victoria is not the place where seed burrs or rusty nails are the main threat for flats: the glass shard is most often the guilty party, especially in winter as the wet glass more easily weasels its way through rubber.
Broken glass bottles are ubiquitous in the bike lanes and road shoulders around the State.
But from next year empty beverage cans, bottles and cartons can be returned for cash.
Ten cents doesn’t sound like much, but the government reckons it has the answer: Victorian charities, community groups and sports clubs will have a new and easy way to raise funds and will be sweeping the metaphorical broom through our cities and towns.
Minister for Energy, the Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio is encouraging Victorians to have their say on the design of the container deposit scheme (CDS) ensuring it is as accessible and easy to use as possible.
Consultation is open until Sunday 26 June and bike riders can have their say here. engage.vic.gov.au/container-deposit-scheme.
“The community told us they wanted an accessible CDS. We’re now asking their views on our plan to make it easy for all Victorians to trade trash for cash and halve litter while we create new jobs," Minister D’Ambrosio said.
“Victoria’s container deposit scheme will halve litter, providing a stream of clean recyclable materials for re-use in new products instead of going to landfill or polluting the environment and harming our wildlife.”
“All charities and community groups can benefit from Victoria’s CDS. The CDS gives charity, community, and sports groups new ways to fundraise, and all Victorians an easy way to earn money while cleaning up our state.”
Victoria’s CDS will target beverage containers that are most likely to be found littering the environment. That includes beverages that are often consumed away from home, such as plastic soft-drink bottles, glass beer bottles, small fruit juice cartons and soft drink and alcohol sold in cans.
Glass wine bottles, spirit bottles and plain milk cartons will not be included in the scheme as they are generally consumed at home and recycled in household recycling bins.
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