ACT Government launches Reverse Vending Machine trial

The ACT Government has unveiled its first reverse vending machine allowing residents to return their recyclable rubbish and make some extra money. Find out all of the locations.

The ACT Government has unveiled a different kind of vending machine designed to get cash back for recyclable materials.

A six-month trial of a reverse vending machine began on Wednesday at Erindale shopping centre, Wanniassa, in Canberra’s Tuggeranong region.

The machine collects used containers and gives users a discount of 10c per item.

The ACT Government has announced a six-month reverse vending machine trial.

ACT Transport and City Services Minister Chris Steel said reverse vending machines had proven successful in NSW.

“Canberrans are doing a great job to recycling their containers, with more than 298 million returned since the scheme began in 2018,” he said.

“There are still many containers that are not being recycled through the scheme and we are looking at ways to make it more convenient and accessible to the public to get their deposit back.”

The machine automatically counts and sorts the containers and an immediate refund can be paid to their Re. Turn It account.

To use the machine Canberrans scan the QR code, choose between glass only or “all other materials.

After the containers are deposited payment will be sent automatically to their Re.Turn It account.

Canberrans can apply for a Re.Turn It account via the ACT Container Deposit Scheme website. 

The vending machine will be open seven days week and on site customer assistance will be available from 9am to 530pm every day for the first six months.

The machine can hold up to 8000 intact containers at once and can be emptied in ten minutes.

The vending machines will be at a number of locaitons.

Across the ACT there are 20 locations where Canberrans can swap used containers for cash:

• Erindale vending machine, 68 Comrie St, Wanniassa ACT
• IGA Nicholls, 88 Kelleway Ave, Nicholls ACT
  
• Belconnen Cash Back Depot, 12 Oatley Court, Belconnen ACT
  
• Tuggeranong Recycling Drop Off Centre, 223 Scollay St, Greenway ACT 2900
• Kambah Playing Fields Drop and Go Pod, 8 Kett St, Kambah ACT 2902
• Hawker Shops Drop and Go Pod, Hawker Pl opp Hawker Shops, Hawker
• Charnwood Shops Drop and Go Pod, 21 Charnwood Pl, Charnwood ACT 2615
• Amaroo Playing Fields Drop and Go Pod, Horse Park Dr, Amaroo ACT 2914
• IGA Farrer, 1 Farrer Pl, Farrer ACT 2607
• IGA Evatt, Heydon Pl, Evatt ACT 2617
• Recycling Drop Off Centre Gungahlin, 3 O'Brien Pl, Gungahlin ACT 2912
• Phillip Cash Back Depot, 17 Dundas Ct, Phillip ACT 2606
• Salvos Fyshwick (Temporarily closed), 5/15 Mildura St, Fyshwick ACT 2609
• Salvos Phillip, Unit 7/48 Botany St, Phillip ACT 2606
• Salvos Tuggeranong Square, Unit 1-3 Anketell St, Greenway ACT 2900
• Mitchell Cash Back Depot, 83 Grimwade St, Mitchell ACT 2911
• Fyshwick Cash Back Depot, 20 Barrier St, Fyshwick ACT 2609
• Vinnies Tuggeranong, Pitman St, Greenway ACT 2900
• Vinnies Dickson, 1/9 Woolley St, Dickson ACT 2602
• Vinnies Belconnen, Cnr Rae and Purdue Streets, Belconnen ACT 2617