Hayward's call for a bottle ban a short-term solution that would do little to change the bad habits of litterers.

KBB president Mr. Barry Brewer said although the organisation was not against a bottle bill, it was more in favour of a comprehensive litter reduction scheme in conjunction with recycling.

Mr. Brewer also disputed that Government's 1991 Baseline Survey revealed drinks-related trash made up the biggest proportion of accumulated litter on the Island, at 37 percent.

He said the figure was, in fact, only 27 percent.

Mr. Brewer further said a bottle bill would not guarantee that empties (with a deposit) would be returned.

And he said the local bottler who offers 20 cents return per bottle would only recover roughly half of his bottles for re-use.

He said if at the end of KBB's five-year comprehensive plan, litter has not been reduced to a manageable level, then the organisation would be the first to support Mr. Hayward's recommendations for a bottle bill.

"It is our hope that by then a bottle bill will be unnecessary because we will be in the habit of recycling at home and at work,'' he said.

Mr. Hayward said Bermuda needed a ban on drinks bottles and an official deposit scheme for cans to cut down litter, boost recycling, and teach young people to be environment-friendly.

He said that with the ending of the volunteer deposit scheme run by Junior Chamber member Mr. Bill Ingham, there was little incentive for people to recycle their cans.