Residents call for more container recycling machines in inner west
RETURN and Earn machines have become so popular they are filling up several times a week, triggering calls from recycling fanatics for more to be rolled out across the inner west.
Inner West
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RETURN and Earn machines have become so popular they are filling up several times a week, triggering calls from recycling fanatics for more to be rolled out across the inner west.
The reverse vending machines at Addison Rd Community Centre in Marrickville and Churchill St in Strathfield resembled Pitt St as people queued up with giant bags of bottles and cans to claim their 10 cent refund on each container.
People gave all sorts of reasons for embracing the scheme, from divers picking up bottles in waterways to kids earning a bit of pocket money, to adults offsetting the rising cost of beer.
More than 2.5 million containers have been fed into the Addison Rd machine since it was installed on December 1 with the number of containers collected more than tripling from 202,638 in its first month to 723,515 in March.
At the Strathfield facility, the number of containers deposited soared from 50,301 in the week after it was installed on March 5 to 79,769 in the last week of March.
Mark Lillico-Thompson deposits a whopping 10,000 bottles to earn his monthly target of $1000, which he is putting towards a holiday.
“I also had a quadruple bypass so this helps me keep active,” he said. “Each bag can weigh 25kg so this is my gym.”
Elizabeth Gworek said the machines helped teach her daughter Juliette, 5, the “value of a dollar” and about the importance of recycling.
Several users said both the Strathfield and Addison Rd machines get full and more were needed.
But given many users told the Courier they were depositing containers from home and even “random people’s bins” that would have been recycled anyway, it is questionable whether they are reducing litter.
One user likened the scheme to “credit card bonus points”.
“I pay for my recycling bin at home whereas this I get paid for,” he said.
Many were seen throwing away plastic bags, which were used to carry the containers to the machines, in overflowing rubbish bins.
Several users called for recycling bins to be placed at the machines to prevent rejected containers and cardboard boxes used to transport them causing a huge mess, as depicted at the Addison Rd centre.
But the Centre’s CEO Rosanna Barbero said: “The pile up of rubbish rarely happens; it’s an indicator of the popularity and the need in the community”.
A NSW Environment Protection Authority spokeswoman said scheme operator TOMRA Cleanway cleans sites daily and received an electronic notification as they near capacity, enabling them to be cleared regularly.
“People should also take their ineligible containers and packaging home with them to appropriately dispose of them,” she said.
“The myTOMRA app has a real-time status update allowing users to see if their machine is open, almost full, temporarily unavailable or in sleep mode.”
IN OTHER NEWS
Over the next 20 years, the scheme is expected to result in 1.6 billion fewer drink containers littering NSW communities and 12.6 billion more containers being recycled, she said.
Containers are collected and processed through a sorting centre in western Sydney, then sold into both domestic and export markets for recycling.
There is also a vending machine at Briars Sports Club in Concord and there are over-the-counter points throughout the inner west.
Find machine sites online: returnandearn.org.au
HOW THE REFUND WORKS
■ Receive a voucher to be redeemed for cash at participating retail stores.
■ Receive direct payment via PayPal.
■ Containers should be empty, uncrushed, unbroken and have the original label attached.
■ Wine, spirits, cordial and plain milk containers are generally not eligible.
■ Call TOMRA on 1800 290 691.