Media release 5 February, 2007

Tasmanians urged to tackle climate change on Clean Up Australia Day

Electronic, or e-waste, is fast becoming one of the biggest waste challenges in Tasmania as old computers and mobile phones turn up in landfill at three times the rate of other rubbish and urgent action is necessary to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions landfill produces, Clean Up Australia Chairman Ian Kiernan AO said today.

In Glenorchy to launch the 18th annual Clean Up Australia Day, Mr Kiernan urged Tasmanians to help reduce the impacts of climate change by improving recycling rates.

“Tasmanian households could each save almost one tonne of dangerous greenhouse gas emissions and help combat climate change by recycling rather than sending waste to landfill as part of Clean Up Australia Day.”

Launching the Tasmanian leg of a nationwide appeal for one million volunteers to take part in the 2007 Clean Up Australia Day campaign, Mr Kiernan said individual action to protect water supplies, improve recycling of old computers, mobile phones and other electronic waste will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Toxic materials from e-waste, which includes lead and mercury from old computers and batteries, is being sent to landfill at three times the rate of other general or municipal waste and generates damaging greenhouses gases,” Mr Kiernan said.

A survey commissioned by the 2007 Clean Up Australia day campaign found that nine out of 10 people in Tasmania support recycling laws for electronic or e-waste, which includes lead and mercury from old computers and batteries.

Kiernan also announced the findings from the latest Clean Up Australia ‘Rubbish Report’, which for the first time included state by state breakdown analysis of the top five rubbish items and most polluted sites.

Alarmed by the fact dangerous glass pieces are the top rubbish item he called on Tasmanians to safely reuse or recycle glass containers and bottles.

Key Clean up Australia Day sponsors, McDonald’s Australia, Veolia Environmental Services and Hydro Tasmania all backed Mr Kiernan’s call for Tasmanian’s to take action to recycle and reuse waste.

Clean up Australia Day will take place on 4 March 2007. You can get involved by visiting www.cleanup.org.au or calling 1 800 CUA DAY (1 800 282 329).

ENDS

For more information contact:
Alexis Vertolli 0403 969 354, Gemma Swart 0414 873 291

TASMANIA RUBBISH REPORT
Top 5 Rubbish Items collected in 2006 (with %of total rubbish found in Tasmania)

1. Glass Pieces (16.5%)
2. Cigarette Butts (12.0%)
3. Plastic chips and confectionary bags (5.5%)
4. Glass alcoholic beverage bottles (5.4%)
5. Plastic bottle caps/lids (4.5%)

Top 5 most polluted sites in 2006:

1. Parks/waterfront
2. Beach/coastal
3. Other
4. Roadways
5. Public Bushland

CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA DAY TASMANIA STATISTICS
328 Registered sites in 2006.

164 Clean up Australia Day sites, 91 Schools Clean Up Day sites, 32 Business Clean Up Day sites.

Estimated 25,391 volunteers took part in Tasmania Clean Up Australia Day in 2006.

Estimated 394 tonnes of waste collected, enough to fill 79 skip bins.

Since 1990 volunteers across Australia have collected over 200,000 tonnes of rubbish, that’s 4.7 million household wheelie bins.