The NSW Government has agreed to introduce a state-wide container deposit scheme to encourage recycling and reduce pollution caused by beverage containers.
The decision comes following the success of Sydney’s program of reverse vending machines, which recycled more than two tonnes of aluminium cans and plastic drink bottles during a two-year trial.
The four machines at Haymarket, Circular Quay, Redfern, and Wynyard offer small rewards such as a donation to charity and food truck vouchers in return for empty drink containers. They have collected more than 150,000 containers since 2014.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the reverse vending machines had been highly successful, showing the community wanted to do the right thing by recycling and disposing of drink containers.
“By using these reverse vending machines, they have saved 150,000 containers from landfill and helped turn rubbish into a valuable resource,” she said.
There will be two reverse vending machines at Redfern and Circular Quay until the NSW Government’s scheme begins mid-2017.
The National Litter Index states that drink containers account for around 44 per cent of all litter in public places.
