Community Fundraising ‘Bottle & Can drives’

Lions Clubs in Ballina, Gerringong and Temora are just four of the many Lions Clubs using the NSW scheme to raise funds and solve problems within their local community.

Each one of these clubs realised their community was generating too much waste and decided to do something about it. Lions clubs are using the scheme to help the environment and benefit the community by placing “donation bins” at their local schools, footy clubs, and caravan parks to collect their cans and bottles. These are then returned to a machine or a collection point, and the resulting funds channelled back into important community programs that make these communities a better place to live.

In addition, some groups have even adopted their local Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) Kiosk and receive a grant for servicing and cleaning it on a regular basis. This helps fund things like a new box trailer to help with their community operations – which enables even more containers to be collected and recycled, generating even more funds!

As at February 2022, over $100,000 has been raised by just these four Lions Clubs, and this has helped local charities and programs funding drought assistance projects for farmers and small businesses, school programs and other vital community initiatives.

Cancer patients in the country are faced with a big hurdle in their cancer journey: distance and access to services. Orange Can Assist give people with cancer living in the area the opportunity to have fair and equitable access to cancer care and support services.

Can Assist Orange began raising funds through container returns in August 2020 initially listed as a donation option on the local machine. COVID and lockdowns forced the charity to cancel many of its events, they then proactively engaged with their local community collecting containers from restaurants, bowling and golf clubs (ie. picking up twice a week from Duntryleague Golf Club), local businesses (ie. Mercedes-Benz Dealership customers encouraged to support Orange Can Assist by donating bottles and can to their show room) as well as Canobolas Lions Club, which contributed to the fundraiser with a donation of cans, and several other businesses around town that have set up container collections

With the help of the local community, Helen and her team have managed to collect tens of thousands of containers to run through the Reverse Vending Machines, raising over $5,000 since August 2020.

Marine Rescue Sydney – State Communications Centre (ex – Marine Rescue Terrey Hills) is a 24/7/365 emergency services organisation. Fundraising through the NSW scheme contributes to their ability to maintain a prompt, reliable and professional marine communications service to the boating community for Greater Sydney and NSW coastline while supporting the environment.

Since the initiative was launched in March 2019, members of the public have actively been supporting the fundraiser by consistently collecting and depositing eligible containers in “donation bins” set up at the Base for processing at the local Reverse Vending Machine.

The local Marine Rescue promoted this initiative using signage placed on community noticeboards at shopping centres, supermarkets and marinas/wharfs, as well as via social media and email communications.

Marine Rescue Sydney has successfully benefited from the various fundraising opportunities offered to them: they were also a very successful on-screen donation partner listed on local machines around Terrey Hills, Glenrose and Belrose, and have started raising funds through our mobile App. Overall, the various fundraising options have helped them raise over $5,000 and still counting, allowing them to have better “eyes and ears” on the NSW coastline 24/7/365, which is critical for recreational boating traffic safety.

The Ballina Hospital Auxiliary exists to raise funds to purchase items for the care and comfort of patients of the local Ballina District Hospital. The auxiliary began fundraising through the NSW scheme as soon as it launched in December 2017.

Initially members of the auxiliary would return their own bottles and give the 10c refund voucher to the charity. Soon they expanded their approach and applied to be listed as an on-screen donation partner on the local Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs). Because patients are often given bottled water, the auxiliary started setting up small deposit points, with collection bags supplied by TOMRA at key points around the hospital itself.

With the help of members and other supporters, the charity receives on average 20,000 drink container refunds each year, raising $2,000 to buy portable ultrasound units, special bed trolleys and intravenous pumps for the hospital helping maternity, emergency and operating theatre patients.