NEWS DESK
Recycling scheme’s unhappy returns Liz Bell liz@baysidenews.com.au
DAN Maitland-Smith with sister Bec Maitland last Saturday. Picture: Supplied
Runners raise money for stroke research DAN Maitland-Smith has turned a tragedy into an opportunity to do good. Maitland-Smith’s sister Bec Maitland suffered a stroke in 2016, which has permanently impacted her life. Since her stroke, her brother has been raising money for the Stroke Foundation. Just this year he has brought in more than $60,000, with no signs of slowing down. Last weekend, Maitland-Smith teamed up with fellow Mordialloc locals to tackle the annual Stride4Stroke run for the fourth time. He formed part of the Training with Mates team. Maitland-Smith said the event encourages other to get active and decrease their risk of stroke. “I wanted to do something to support my sister and
encourage people to get active to reduce their risk of having a stroke and to help prevent them from going through what Bec went through. A lot of people think stroke only affects older Australians but it can happen to anyone at any age,” he said. Runners could tackle courses of 4 kilometers, 7, 14, 21, or 28. MaitlandSmith said “It’s great to see so many people already keen to sign up to the challenge and unite for such a great cause as well as using this as a way of keeping fit.” Stroke Foundation chief executive officer Dr Lisa Murphy has praised the fundraising effort. She said “every dollar raised helps us get one step closer
to preventing more strokes, saving lives and enhancing recovery for more Australians.” “One million strokes a year globally are linked to physical inactivity. This means too many lives are being impacted by stroke unnecessarily, and research tells us just 30 minutes of exercise five times a week can reduce your stroke risk by 25 per cent,” she said. “We all have different abilities, passions and lifestyles, how you get active will look different for everyone, that’s the benefit of Stride4Stroke, there are no limits to what you can do.” To donate visit stride4stroke.org.au/ fundraisers/twmstride4stroke2023/ stride4stroke
THE start of the much-hyped container deposit scheme on 1 November has highlighted flaws in the program and drawn criticism from environment groups and the state opposition. The state government financed scheme provides a 10-cent refund for returned eligible cans, cartons and bottles, and has been promoted as an important component of the recycling system and a way to cut litter. But by the second day of the trial, some container bins on the Mornington Peninsula were too full to receive any more due to members of the public loading them up with cans they had been saving. There have also been reports across Victoria of machines in car parks not working, and locations for drop off sites disappearing off the state website. According to Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, which does not run the scheme, there are 12 collection sites, including reverse vending machines, drop off depots and over-the-counter points across the shire. On the peninsula, the scheme is being delivered by network operator Return-It, with unbroken cans, bottles and cartons being accepted. Glass wine bottles, milk cartons, and bottles containing cordial or concentrated fruit juice are not accepted. There is growing concern that Victorians will turn away from the scheme unless problems are resolved quickly. When the scheme was announced by the state government, environmen-
tal advocate the Boomerang Alliance said it needed to be “best scheme maximising recycling; with great convenience for consumers who want to redeem their 10 cents and a credible governance system”. But it says the scheme is disappointing, with not enough refund points and differences in the quality and convenience of the small number of points. The alliance says that container deposit schemes are in place in more than 40 countries or states around the world, with the best ones demonstrating a more than 95 per cent return rate. Opposition spokesman for the environment James Newbury said the roll out of the collection points was a massive let down for Victorians. The state government says it requires operators to establish more deposit points over the next 12 months. THE reverse vending machine at Sages Cottage in Baxter was full by Thursday, two days after installation, unable to accept more containers. Picture: Gary Sissons
Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News 15 November 2023
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