Returnable cans; new Australian campaign

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32702, 3 September 1971, Page 23

Returnable cans; new Australian campaign

(By

MAX LAMBERT.

N.Z.P.A. staff correspondent)

Australian companies are entering the environment protection business as the public becomes more and more concerned with conservation.

A rash of firms has jumped on the bandwaggon this year with elaborate publicity and advertising campaigns. Whether their moves have been spurred by genuine sympathy for the environment, or fear of Government legislation if they don’t act is hard to tell. But whatever the motives, their decisions have been welcomed as positive steps in the battle to keep Australia clean and beautiful. THE "CAN PEOPLE” The latest group to move into the anti-litter fray is made up of Australia’s four largest canmakers and the Broken Hill Proprietary Company, Ltd. Calling themselves the “Can People” they have announced a plan to collect used cans of all types and recycle the material. Their initiative comes after anti-litter schemes started earlier this year by Comalco and the giant Australian brewing group Carlton United.

Comalco is buying back aluminium cans for scrap and Cartion United has changed from non-returnable glass “stubbies” for beer to returnable half bottles.

Two other companies, Col-gate-Palmolive, and Lever and Kitchen, announced in June that they had changed to bio-degradable products in the cause against water pollution. BETTER DETERGENTS

These two firms, international competition, make about 90 per cent of the detergent powders and liquids sold in Australia.

They say that the change has put an end to the risk of detergent pollution of waterways. Colgate-Palmolive said in its advertising that a bio-degradable or “soft” detergent breaks down more quickly after use, avqiding foam pollution on waterways. “Colgate-Paltnolive hopes that by this action others will be encouraged to press ahead with their plans for environmental protection.”

Comalco’s can-retrieval scheme attracted two million cans in its first six months. The main collecting agencies —charities—get 10c a pound for the scrap cans. Alumin-

him scrap is worth $220 a ton, compared with only about $2O dollars a ton for steel scrap, so Comalco can afford to pay for cans recovered from the public. ALUMINIUM RE-USED Comalco has had its best return in South Australia, where the market penetration of aluminium cans is greatest. The company says that 25 per cent of all cans sold in the state is being returned and expects the percentage to grow.

The company says in its advertisements that the cans are being melted down to make fresh metal. “So we’re encouraging people not to throw them away, but to save them. In this way charities can collect the cans for cash, and Australia will stay a little cleaner.”

RETURNABLE BOTTLES Carlton United’s change to returnable 13oz bottles was triggered, according to a spokesman, both by concern about the environment and fears that the Government might impose a tax on nonreturnable bottles. The company is pleased with results, although the scheme has been going only a short time.

Eventually, it hopes for a 60 per cent return. The big test will come this summer, the first since the plan began operating.

B.H.P. and its associated canmakers are challenging the community to prove it cares about the environment. The group is appealing to people to collect used cans and return them to 15 recycling centres that have been opened in 10 cities, CLEAN, RINSED The “Can People” will take not only beer and soft drink cans but also those used for other food products. Cans must be clean, rinsed out and labels removed. “We realise that this is a chore, but a lot of people will care enough ’ about the environment to do it, and that’s a start.”

They are asking people to deliver their own cans but at the same time are employing two charity groups, in Sydney and Melbourne, to conduct collections in certain areas to provide research information for future action. Collected cans will be used in three ways—as feed in B.H.P. furnaces, for detinning or crushed and baled for export.