Pictured above: Monique Spicer, Michelle Mandl, James Dorney, The Hon. Penny Sharpe, Vesna Davidovic, David Hill
The NSW Return and Earn scheme reached a significant milestone of 10 billion recycled cans and bottles.
Users have earned $1 billion in container refunds since the scheme began in 2017 and have raised $47 million for charities and local community groups.
Families and individuals are using Return and Earn to help with the cost of living; from funding new sports uniforms and swimming lessons to offsetting everyday costs such as food and petrol.
More than 923,000 tonnes of materials have been recycled through the scheme. Reusing materials has saved enough energy to power 110,000 homes for a year and enough water to fill 23,000 Olympic swimming pools.
Two out of every three eligible drink containers supplied in NSW are now redeemed, increasing recycling rates and reducing the beverage industry’s reliance on virgin plastic, glass and aluminium.
The Return and Earn network continues growing, with more than 620 return points operational across NSW.
Consumer research shows more than 80 per cent of NSW adults visit their local return point as part of their recycling routine.
Return and Earn is delivered in partnership between the NSW Government, scheme coordinator Exchange for Change and network operator TOMRA Cleanaway, and is funded by the beverage industry.
To commemorate this milestone, we recently welcomed the Hon. Penny Sharpe, Minister for the Environment, NSW EPA CEO, Tony Chappel, members of the TOMRA Cleanaway Board, Tor Eirik Knutsen, Markus Fraval and Claire Halsey and executives from our scheme partners at Exchange for Change to our Eastern Creek Central Counting and Sorting Centre.
