Call for Returnable Containers Act to include more items

There is a need to expand on the Returnable Containers Act to include more items such as water bottles and aluminium cans.

 

This is the call coming from Managing Director of B’s Recycling, Paul Bynoe who spoke with the media recently.

 

He said that when it comes to the bottles for example, it is the same plastic that is used to make all of them and the caps are even made from the same material. The only differences are the labels that they stick on the bottles and of course, the liquid within the bottles themselves.

 

“It is there (the Act) and I think the truth is that it is there to stay. We really need to expand on the Containers Returnable Act. If you look at the Act, it would just be soft drinks (bottles) and so on. But if you look at the amount of water bottles, juice bottles and other bottles that contain the same plastic. If you can tell me that a drink bottle can take 200 years to rotten down, it is the same water bottle that would take 200 years. The only difference between a water bottle and most of these bottles from a soft drink bottle is the label. The label is different. The covers are the same (and) the bottles are the same and the very items that the bottles carry are obviously different. But they are all the same.”

 

Therefore, it is imperative that the Government of Barbados take a closer look at increasing the things that can be included in this Act.

 

“So we need to expand on the Containers Returnable Act not only to include the pep bottles, but also aluminium cans, the beer cans, the energy cans and so on. All of these need to come under the Act. But I don’t know. That is a matter for somebody else to look at.”

 

Bynoe said that this is especially important because these bottles are often thrown be the wayside and become a hazard and clog up the drains and cause other problems.

 

“I am of the opinion that the more things that we buy, we sell and there are more items when you look at it can come into the Containers Act where as long as there are bottles or cans or plastic out there, we should look at it and put it all in the Containers Act so that these things do not become a hazard and (clog up) the gutters and the drainage and all over the place.” (PJT)