Bottle and can deposit return scheme gets green light in England

All drinks containers in England, whether plastic, glass or metal, will be covered by a deposit return scheme, the government has announced.

 Deposit return schemes currently operate in 38 countries. 

The forthcoming scheme is intended to cut the litter polluting the land and sea by returning a small cash sum to consumers who return their bottles and cans.

Similar schemes operate in 38 countries, and campaigners have worked for a decade for its introduction in England.

Fees vary depending on the size of the bottle or can and many use “reverse vending machines” to automate the return.

Read Damian Carrington’s story from The Guardian - “Bottle and can deposit return scheme gets green light in England.”

Images capture orange dust storm that swallowed an Australian town

A striking cloud of thick red dust has covered the small town of Charleville in rural Queensland after wild weather swept through the state.

The dust storm sweeps towards Charleville, Queensland.

The dust phenomenon occurred on Tuesday when high winds swept through the area kicking up dust that had settled after a spell of dry weather.

While dust storms are not uncommon in the area, locals said it was unusual for the dust cover to be so thick and brightly coloured.

Heavy rain and damaging winds left other parts of northern and inland Queensland with a large cleanup operation after trees were uprooted and roofs ripped off during the storm’s peak.

Read Amy McNeilage’s story in The Guardian - “Images capture orange dust storm that swallowed an Australian town.”

Industry not concerned about coal dust in Newcastle

Coal dust is a clearly known particulate detrimental to human health.

Sadly the coal industry, at least that which uses Australia’s Newcastle port, is not prepared to spend less than one half of one per cent of the $13.6 billion worth of coal shipped through the port each year to eliminate dust from its rail stock.

The Newcastle Herald and community-based organisations across the state have been campaigning for the introduction of physically covered or chemically veneered coal wagons for the past two years.

Details of this development are explained in a Newcastle Herald story headed: “Chemical sealing train wagons put at 4¢ a tonne”.