Locals from NSW suburb Guildford have returned over 2,250,475 bottles and containers through the Return and Earn over the last year, with 53 percent of the total volume recycled made up of plastics.
“We are thrilled to see so many people engaging with the Return and Earn Centre at Guildford. The scheme plays such an important role in Australia’s fight against waste and thanks to these users, over two million containers and bottles have effectively been stopped from entering landfill or being littered in the community,” said James Dorney, CEO of TOMRA Cleanaway, network operator of the scheme.
Recyclers receive a 10c refund for each eligible bottle, can or carton they return, and this means that $200,000 has gone back into the pockets of the Guildford community. They can also choose to donate their refund to one of the onscreen charity partners available on the machines, including Animal Welfare League NSW, Givit, or the current local donation partner Asylum Seekers Centre which has raised $16,000 so far from container refunds.
Customers have the option to print a retail cash voucher for the refund amount, redeemable at Woolworths, or alternatively they can opt for an e-voucher or direct payment into their bank account or PayPal account by downloading the Return and Earn app before visiting.
“Combined with household recycling, the return point allows us all to take part in reducing millions of containers littering NSW's environment every year while also being rewarded for our efforts,” added Dorney.
The Guildford Return and Earn Centre is one of over 620 return points available across NSW. More than 7.8 billion containers have been returned through Return and Earn for recycling since the scheme commenced in December 2017.
For more information on Return and Earn including checking container eligibility or the status of your nearest return point, and to download the Return and Earn app, click here.
