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Coke and its beverage industry buddies are at it again. 

Just days ago, the Coke-funded Beverage Council of Australia launched a massive, nationwide advertising campaign to try and stop our politicians adopting the popular and proven Cash for Containers scheme.

The highly misleading “Container Tax” campaign is based entirely on a report so inaccurate it was dismissed by an Australian Senate committee for its “poor methodology and weak data” [1]. In the report, Coke claims Cash for Containers would drive up each drink by 20 cents and cost consumers hundreds of dollars a year — despite evidence from The Boomerang Alliance showing a modern scheme can operate at zero cost [2]. 

It threatens to undermine all we’ve achieved this year to persuade our MPs to support this scheme. That’s why we need to urgently rise up together today against this latest threat before our politicians make their final decision this year.

Click here to email key decision maker Premier Denis Napthine, asking him not to give in to Coke’s bullying and support Cash for Containers.

What we’re calling for is simple. You buy a drink, and you get 10 cents back when you return the empty bottle or can. It’s proven to work all over the world and has delivered huge environmental benefits, helping achieve recycling rates of up to a massive 97% in some parts of Europe [3]. 

Unlike Coke, our Cash for Containers campaign is based on evidence compiled from years of research. These are the facts that Coca-Cola doesn’t want you to know:

• It already works in Australia. The successful scheme in South Australia has doubled the recycling rate compared to the rest of the country.
• A modern scheme could operate at zero cost. Modern schemes can cover overheads using only unredeemed deposits. This means no extra costs to consumers.
• It’s globally proven. In some parts of Germany with Cash for Containers, recycling rates are as high as 97%.
• Local councils support it. In fact, savings could total $183 million per year — which could help fund other essential services.
• It will generate more jobs. Recycling companies have promised to invest millions of dollars and create more than 3,000 new jobs to support the scheme.

We can’t afford to let Coke get away with trashing this. Join in now and send your email to Premier Denis Napthine asking him to stand up to Coke and support Cash for Containers.

Multi-billion dollar corporations like Coke think they can buy their way out of doing the right thing by the planet. But the truth is, no matter how much cash they throw at this, they can’t match what we have. Greenpeace is a global and interconnected community with millions of supporters who run and win campaigns every week. We know how to win. Let’s do it again now.

Thanks for standing up.

Reece Turner
Senior Campaigner
Greenpeace Australia Pacific

[1] Completed inquiries and reports, Australian Senate, Chapter 3, 3.32.

[2] Container Deposit Scheme, The Boomerang Alliance.

[3] INFOGRAPHIC: this will change the way you look at recycling. Guaranteed.