NSW residents have returned a record 15 billion bottles, cans and cartons through the Return and Earn scheme, delivering $1.5 billion in refunds to households, charities and community groups since the program began in December 2017.
The milestone was reached in less than six months, with the total climbing from 14 billion to 15 billion containers as enthusiasm for the scheme continues to grow. Around nine million containers are now returned every day, a figure expected to rise further over the busy summer period.
Acting Minister for the Environment Steve Whan said community participation was driving the scheme’s success.
“This impressive milestone of 15 billion containers shows just how much the community loves Return and Earn. The tally will only continue to grow, especially over summer when around nine million containers are returned each day,” Mr Whan said.
“Return and Earn has doubled the recycling rate for beverage containers since it started, significantly reducing litter in NSW and putting money back into people’s pockets.”
Originally introduced as a litter reduction initiative, Return and Earn has become a central part of NSW’s circular economy. Glass and plastic bottles collected through the network are often processed and returned to shelves within weeks, reducing the demand for new raw materials.
Locally in the New England, however, access to the scheme remains uneven. Many smaller villages do not have a Return and Earn machine, while larger centres including Armidale, Inverell and Narrabri have only one or two collection points. Tamworth is currently the only centre in the region with a depot that allows for bulk returns, highlighting ongoing challenges for local communities seeking to fully participate in the scheme.
The 15 billionth container milestone comes as the NSW Government prepares to expand Return and Earn from mid-2027 to include wine and spirit bottles and larger drink containers. The expansion is expected to divert an additional 27,000 tonnes of material from landfill each year and make another 362 million containers eligible for the 10 cent refund annually.
The environmental impact of the scheme is significant. The estimated benefits include energy savings equivalent to powering 204,750 homes for a year, water savings equal to 35,186 Olympic swimming pools, and carbon dioxide reductions comparable to taking almost 1.1 million cars off the road for a year.
The scheme has proven to be a valuable fundraising tool for major charities, with more than $91.5 million raised through container refund donations and hosting fees for charities and community groups since 2017. Jeans for Genes is the latest major donation partner, aiming to raise $200,000 through container refunds to support research into treatments and cures for children’s genetic conditions. Local and smaller charities can also register with the scheme and ask their supporters to donate their refunds directly through the app.
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