§ 2.41 p.m.
Lord DUNLEATHMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what they suggest he should do with the 672 empty mineral water bottles that are at present in his possession.
§ Baroness STEDMANMy Lords, non-returnable glass bottles can be easily disposed of by local authorities with other domestic refuse. The noble Lord lives in County Down and I am assured that his local authority would be able to cope with his bottles.
Lord DUNLEATHMy Lords, in thanking the noble Baroness for her reply, whose courtesy and, indeed, realism I much appreciated, may I ask whether she does not agree that the increasing trend towards non-returnable containers constitutes a grossly extravagant waste of the world's resources, and compounds the problem of refuse disposal, which is a particular problem in my area of North Down?
§ Baroness STEDMANMy Lords, at the moment the trade seems to prefer non-returnable bottles. In fact, there were some 15 firms in the country which between them produced 6,000 million containers each year. The main raw materials are sand, limestone and soda ash, all of which are indigenous, virtually inexhaustible and comparatively cheap. The proportion of returnable containers now in use is down to 15.6 per cent. The cost of collecting and crushing the glass is not such that people are able or willing to do it as an economic proposition.
§ Lord SWANSEAMy Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that empty bottles placed around strawberry plants are very beneficial to their growth?
§ Baroness STEDMANMy Lords, I shall remind my husband of that when I get home.
§ Lord GOODMANMy Lords, may I ask the Minister to urge upon the noble Lord that he should not be discouraged from drinking mineral waters and other non-alcoholic beverages on account of this particular local difficulty?
§ Baroness EMMET of AMBERLEYMy Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that, in countries other than ours, waste glass bottles are re-used for all kinds of purposes, including resurfacing roads? I do not think we have properly investigated the possibilities.
§ Baroness STEDMANMy Lords, various experiments are in force in different parts of the world, and the Waste Management Advisory Council are keeping them under observation.