CDS Vic cooks up 108,000 meals for Foodbank

Victorians have helped provide 108,000 meals for people experiencing food insecurity by donating their container refunds through a three-month campaign between Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme (CDS Vic) and Foodbank Victoria.

The ‘Your Empties, Full Tummies’ fundraising campaign, which ran from mid-July to mid-October 2026, raised over $54,300 through donated 10-cent refunds, helping Foodbank Victoria deliver meals, groceries and emergency relief across the state.

“We’re overwhelmed by the generosity of Victorians who donated their container refund to support those doing it tough,” said Matt Davis, CEO of scheme coordinator Vic Return.

“The $54,000 raised shows us that while 10c doesn’t seem like much, it can make a significant social and environmental difference.”

The partnership built on the recycling scheme’s success, which has given 3.7 billion containers a second life while returning $370 million to Victorians – including $4.3 million to charities and community groups.

Public container drives were hosted at CDS Vic depots across the state, including Shepparton, Morwell and Ballarat, where communities visited the sites, donated container refunds, grabbed a free coffee and chatted with local Foodbank teams about the work they do to support the community.

Foodbank Victoria feeds 76,000 people every day and provides more than 70 per cent of the state's food relief. The charity has reported demand for food relief increasing 10 per cent in the past six months, with cost-of-living pressures continuing to impact many households.

“At a time when demand for food relief continues to grow, support like this helps us provide meals and groceries to individuals and families facing difficult circumstances,” added Dave McNamara, CEO of Foodbank Victoria.

“We're incredibly grateful to everyone who turned their empties into full tummies and helped make a real difference in communities across Victoria.”

While the awareness campaign has ended, Victorians can continue to donate their container refunds to Foodbank Victoria by selecting the charity on the screen at a CDS Vic reverse vending machine, choosing it as a payout option in the CDS Vic app, or asking staff at CDS Vic depots or over-the-counter refund points to donate their refund when returning eligible containers.