'Our oceans are sending out an SOS'- Plastic bottle protesters to take message to Parliament's steps

December 5, 2017

Anti-plastic campaigners will deliver hundreds of messages in plastic bottles to the steps of Parliament this morning.

Community group The Kiwi Bottle Drive says it's wrapping up its "message in a bottle" campaign, which has seen more than 8000 Kiwis flood the Beehive mail room with messages in bottles calling for the government to introduce a bottle deposit scheme.

Campaign coordinator Rowan Brooks says the group has heard rumours that MPs are getting sick of receiving thousands of plastic bottles and he hopes the Government has "got the message" by now. 

"We have no time to waste; we need to introduce bottle deposits now - our oceans are sending out an SOS as more than a billion bottles are being produced globally each day, and, as a country, we need to step up and take responsibility for our plastic waste," Mr Brooks said.

"The coalition government includes support for bottle deposits and we think it's time the Ministry for the Environment properly starts exploring this solution," he said. 

"Bottle deposit schemes are the proven best way to clean up the environment, skyrocket recycling rates, reduce litter and create cash for our kids and communities."

A bottle deposit scheme would see a 10 cent deposit added to the cost of a drink. Consumers would take the empty bottles to a depot or reverse vending machine for a 10 cent refund and the depot would send the bottles to a recycling processor.

Mr Brooks says MPs have been invited to meet the group this morning.

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