The Andrews Labor Government is one step closer to delivering Australia’s most accessible container deposit scheme, with collection points rolling out across Victoria.

Jaclyn Symes, Labor Member for Northern Victoria, today visited the Tallarook Hotel, where an over-the-counter refund point for Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme (CDS Vic) has been established by CDS Network Operator Visy, and will be operational from 1 November this year.

CDS Vic is a new Labor Government initiative that will allow people to return their used drink cans, bottles and cartons for a 10-cent refund, with refund points planned across regional Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne.

Within 12 months of the scheme starting, the network operators will be required to have a minimum of one collection point per 14,500 people in metropolitan areas, at least one per town of 750 people in regional areas, and at least one per town of 350 people in remote areas.

Reverse vending machines, depots, over-the-counter sites, and pop-ups will be the four ways people can return their eligible containers.

CDS Vic will reduce the state’s litter by up to half, create new economic opportunities, generate up to 640 jobs across the state, and turn drink containers into new recycled products.

VicReturn is the Scheme Coordinator, while zone operators TOMRA Cleanaway, Visy and Return-It will establish and oversee the refund points and refunds to customers as well as ensure proper recycling of the containers. 

The operators are each responsible for the collection point network in their allocated scheme zones: north, east and west.

CDS Vic is part of the Labor Government’s $515 million investment to transform the state’s waste and recycling system. This includes the new standardised four-stream waste and recycling system, ensuring that we meet our target of diverting 80 per cent of all material away from landfill by 2030.

Quote attributable to Jaclyn Symes Member for Northern Victoria

“This is a great opportunity to help clean up our environment, while helping sporting clubs, community groups and schools across Northern Victoria to raise valuable funds through collection drives and donations.”