The simple act of recycling drink cans, bottles and cartons has made five lucky Victorians and one charity $10,000 richer thanks to Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme (CDS Vic) and its statewide ‘Win A Million Cents’ competition.
Running from 4 May to 14 June 2026, the competition gave Victorians the chance to win one of five $10,000 (‘million cents’) cash prizes simply by returning their eligible drink containers through the scheme.
Dean Heather, who returned containers at Bendigo’s Kangaroo Flat CDS Vic depot, is planning to use his million cents windfall towards upgrading his caravan for his next adventure.
“The bottles and cans used to fill my bin, so I thought it made sense to return them instead. They’re not ending up in the bin, and you get a few dollars back as well,” Heather added.
Mulgrave CDS Vic depot regular Eli Rose said the refund point’s high-speed bulk sorting machine makes returning drink containers quick and easy. Collecting drink containers while out walking has also helped the 27-year-old mental health nurse stay active, particularly during the warmer months.
“It’s a win-win-win – for the environment, for getting more steps in, and because the money helps too,” Rose said.
Rose’s winning entry came from a haul of more than 1000 containers. To boost his collections, he has been reaching out to the community through social media and collecting containers left behind at local parks after footy games.
Myrtleford cattle farmer Trevor McKibbin is a regular visitor to the Wangaratta CDS Vic depot and knows the workers by name.
“I joked that if I won the competition, I’d buy them a slab of beer,” McKibbin said. And when he found out he’d won, he gifted them a slab of VB.
McKibbin has fond memories of collecting and recycling cans as a child during the Alcoa Cash-a-Can campaign in the 1990s and was quick to embrace CDS Vic when it launched in 2023.
Over in Eurack, grandfather Bazza Mac saves up his eligible drink containers before making a trip to Geelong’s Bell Park depot every three to six months for a bigger payday. His winning entry came from a haul of more than 1200 containers.
The retired interstate truck driver has seen the positive impact South Australia’s CDS had on litter reduction over decades on the road and was quick to get involved when Victoria’s scheme launched in November 2023. Since then, he estimates he has received around $3000 in container refunds through CDS Vic.
“I usually cash in the cans and give the refunds to my daughter – she’s got a bunch of kids,” Bazza said. “I save up the containers and deposit them every three to six months. I get containers from the neighbours as well.”
Zion, who returns containers at the Springvale CDS Vic depot, was one of five lucky winners given the opportunity to donate an additional $10,000 to a registered CDS Vic charity, school or community group of their choice.
Wanting to give back to the local Korean community, the Korean-Australian father chose Melbourne Sae-Soon Church, a Presbyterian congregation that supports Korean migrants and the wider community through worship, fellowship and social outreach programs.
“I’m a Christian, so I chose a Korean church that does meaningful work supporting the community,” he said.
The donation was a natural extension of his commitment to recycling through CDS Vic.
Working in a restaurant, he noticed large numbers of drink containers being thrown away and saw an opportunity to reduce waste while earning extra money for his family.
“I’d like to see more people in hospitality take advantage of the CDS. It’s an easy way to make a positive difference for the environment, the community and yourself,” he added.
Almost 44,000 competition entries were received from Victorians returning eligible drink containers across the state, said Matt Davis, CEO of scheme coordinator, VicReturn.
“Congratulations to our winners who returned containers across Victoria, and well done to everyone who participated,” Davis said. “Thanks to your efforts, millions of containers have been kept out of landfill and are being properly recycled into new products.”
To date, more than 3.3 billion containers have been returned through CDS Vic, putting more than $330 million back into the pockets of Victorians.
