[GreenYes] NSDA Sponsorship of America Recycles Day

[Pat Franklin <pfranklin@container-recycling.org>]

My thoughts on the NSDA sponsorship of ARD . . . . .


With America Recycles Day (ARD) 2001 behind us, and the prospect of
yet another year of declining recycling rates for glass, aluminum and
plastic beverage containers, I find it appalling that the National Soft Drink
(NSDA) was, again this year, one of the twelve major sponsors of ARD.

The NSDA is the trade association representing the nation's two major
soft drink  manufacturers, Coke and Pepsi as well as smaller soda companies
and bottlers. While we, as a nation, trash 45 billion soda cans and bottles
annually, Coke, Pepsi and the NSDA spend hundreds of thousands of
dollars each year to oppose new and expanded bottle bills, the only proven
system that can stop the waste associated with their throwaway cans and
bottles.   And, they continue to work feverishly to defeat existing bottle 
bills
that are responsible for the lions share of beverage container that do get
recycled.

Until the NSDA stops their war on bottle bills they should not be a
sponsor of America Recycles Day.

Pat Franklin
Exec Dir
Container Recycling Institute
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Interestingly, we received the following press release last night from the 
Local
Government & Shires Associations of New South Wales, Australia.  It seems
they, too, have a beef with the beverage industry.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

         LOCAL GOVERNMENT INSISTS NATIONAL RECYCLING WEEK
                 IS TIME FOR A GOOD LOOK AT RECYCLING

(14 November 2001, Sydney, Australia) -- National Recycling Week
provides a good opportunity to consider the environmental, social
and economic value of recycling, according to the Local Government
and Shires Associations of NSW (LGSA).

"Every year during National Recycling Week the beverage and packaging
industry feed us selective information. It is time the public was made
aware of all the facts about the industry," said Cr Peter Woods OAM,
President of the Local Government Association of NSW.

"The beverage and packaging industry produces massive quantities of
worthless single use containers and generates substantial profits which
they use to pad the campaign coffers of the major political parties.

"Meanwhile, they urge the public to 'do the right thing' by recycling these
unnecessary containers and councils are left with problem of picking up
worthless materials which cannot be economically recycled. It is time to
pull the plug on this sham," said Cr Woods.

Cr Mike Montgomery, President of the Shires Association of NSW,
stated that rural councils are under huge pressure from the State
Government and industry, through the 'National Packaging Covenant', to
get involved in kerbside recycling.

"The fact is, kerbside collection is even less viable in regional areas,
due to the huge distances involved in collection of the materials and
dispatching them to markets, limited as they are. Kerbside collection
will simply milk the already battling rural sector even further."

Crs Woods and Montgomery have called a meeting of all mayors on
Wednesday 21 November.

"Councils across NSW, rural and metro, are united in their call for
action," said Cr Montgomery.

"We shall be seeking absolute assurances from industry that it will ensure
the economic, environmental and social sustainability of recycling. We also
seek a commitment from Bob Carr's government that the CDL Inquiry Report
will be released and duly considered. Without these assurances, kerbside
recycling may well grind to a halt as contracts come up for renewal,"
concluded Cr Montgomery.

                                 # # #


Pat Franklin
Executive Director
Container Recycling Institute
1911 Ft Myer Drive, Suite 702
Arlington, Virginia  22209
703.276.9800  fax 703.276.9587
email:PFranklin@Container-Recycling.org
www.Container-Recycling.org
www.BottleBill.org
********************************************

******************************************
To post to the greenyes list,
email to: greenyes@grrn.org

Subscription information for
this list is available here:
http://www.grrn.org/general/greenyes.html
******************************************