Coca-Cola is taking a legal case against the Northern Territory cash-for-containers scheme, which is the only comprehensive recycling and litter reduction scheme that really works, said Jeff Angel, convenor of Boomerang Alliance.
"Mt Franklin (owned by Coca-Cola) and other plastic water bottles make up between 30-50% of all marine plastic pollution that kills marine wildlife, according to the CSIRO.
"The beverage industry led by Coca-Cola is now a pariah industry, opposing sensible incentive based environmental initiatives.
"Coke was accused by the previous NT Chief Minister of running a 'misleading' political campaign, with millions of dollars spent on radio and newspaper ads and lobbying. Coke continually tries to menace governments", said Mr Angel.
"The federal government must back the NT government against Coca-Cola. It should immediately lock the NT CD scheme into the federal mutual recognition legislation."
"The federal government has been sitting on its hands. To allow this legal case to happen is a failure of their governance of state and territory environmental protections."
"The NT LNP government is to be commended for their determination to defend the NT cash for containers scheme and fight Coca-Cola in the courts."
"A recent opinion poll in South Australia showed continuing and enormous (98%) support for that state's CD scheme. SA achieves the highest recycling rates for plastics bottles of over 80% while the rest of the country languishes at around 30%."
"We urge all state environment ministers not to be threatened by Coke's anti-environmentalism and support the NT government by backing a national CD scheme", said Angel. (356)
