10 Cent Refund on Drink Containers - NSW

frugl on 24/10/2017 - 18:27

A positive step for reducing plastic on our planet…

"…the new Return and Earn Container Deposit Scheme (CDS), today announced that Woolworths will be the first retail refund partner when the program launches on December 1st, 2017.

Under the CDS, consumers will be able to return eligible beverage containers for recycling in exchange for a 10 cent refund.

The arrangement with Woolworths aims to provide up to 180 collection points in metro and regional areas of NSW."

SA has had a successful scheme in operation since the late 70's. Anyone collect and get good refunds in SA?

Food & Grocery

Related Stores

NSW Environment Protection Authority
NSW Environment Protection Authority

Comments

  • redfox1200 on 24/10/2017 - 18:36
    +7

    yes, if you work hard, save all your bottles, and cash them in at the end of the year you will probably make like $10

    • whooah1979 on 24/10/2017 - 19:10
      +3

      Why the negs? You make a valid point.

    • redfox1200 on 24/10/2017 - 19:19

      ha no idea, i am from SA and i recycle all my bottles and cans and this is about how much i make a year. i guess you can make more if you're an alcoholic :)

    • Laziofogna on 23/03/2018 - 22:24

      Even if you have 1 bottle at day you would make $36.5.

  • retiredfeline on 24/10/2017 - 18:36
    +1

    Well, recycling aluminium too.

    So time to buy up those bricks in advance to get a "discount".

  • whooah1979 on 24/10/2017 - 18:41
    -2

    Only $0.10 per bottle. Not worth the time for an average consumer.

    • retiredfeline on 24/10/2017 - 18:46
      +3

      The scavengers will collect them.

    • [Deactivated] on 24/10/2017 - 19:52
      +1

      Not worth it to the average consumer yet everyone is complaining "therezzz no jubzzzz" and "awwww i cant get mi share".

    • CheapskateQueen on 24/10/2017 - 20:28
      +8

      the idea is to encourage recycling, not turn a huge profit

      • whooah1979 on 24/10/2017 - 23:17

        the idea is to encourage recycling

        this is what the yellow bins are for. people have been recycling for decades without any encouragement from a mnc like wow.

        not turn a huge profit

        of course not for an average consumer. wow on the other hand wouldn't be doing this unless there is some profits for them.

        • retiredfeline on 24/10/2017 - 23:26

          this is what the yellow bins are for

          Yeah right. People who toss recyclables in the waste bin and vice versa peeve me. Like they can't read.

          But actually environmentalists pushed for this, Woolies is just getting on the bandwagon. I'm ok with that. It's not like they are going to make huge profits from this. If you want to recycle but don't like Woolies, you can take them somewhere else. Or let the scavengers take care of them.

        • CheapskateQueen on 25/10/2017 - 00:04

          If people were using the yellow bins and recycling propery we'd have better stats than
          -less than 40% of drink containers are recycled in nsw
          -drink containers making up over 40% of all litter in nsw

          WW is nothing more than a collection point. Gives them bonus green points

        • singlemalt72 on 25/10/2017 - 07:20
          +2

          "this is what the yellow bins are for. people have been recycling for decades without any encouragement from a mnc like wow."

          Take it from someone who works in river hydrography - plastic bottles are everywhere. I can go into the deepest hardest-t-reach areas of NSW national parks and find bottles all the time, every time there is a rain event stuff continues to be washed into waterways.

  • trustnoone on 24/10/2017 - 19:01
    +1

    Yeah I used to be from SA, our family used to do it farily often, basically you collect all your cans or bottles throughout the year, then we'd stick em all in our ute and drive into a collection bay place. Guy usually counts them out, I think we typically get like 30 dollars? (Been a long time since I went). I assume people who drink more often (typically people I know who drinks a beer or two every few days) may get more? But it usually ended up as pocket money for me as a kid.

    I don't know how it will work here though as it seems you give it straight into woolworths? One of the things is that sometimes they arn't the cleanest cans or bottles.

    One thing I'm interested about is its affect on homeless people, in Adelaide I don't see too many homeless people, but most I do see roam around picking up cans to get some money, I talked to one of the guys about it and he was telling me that it was a really good way for him to get enough to have a meal or so. There are more homeless people in Sydney though, and I wonder whether that will have an effect on the bins around the place but one of the things he told me was that he'd always keep the bins clean after raiding them so that he doesn't annoy the public, really made me think to be honest since he was probably at a low point of his life but still thinking of others. Anyways yeah I think it runs well in SA.

    • whooah1979 on 24/10/2017 - 19:06

      30 dollars?

      $30 is 300 bottles. Where did you guys keep them? Was it an eyesore?

      • trustnoone on 24/10/2017 - 19:18

        lol I'm not sure if I just majorly overestimated? If so, my bad. I know we used to use the trailer as well as the ute most times (I think we usually split up the bottles and cans that way) but we just stick it all in our shed, I'm from more regional SA though and we had quite a large place (two blocks of land).

        It's an interesting thought though, since I've moved to Sydney and renting out a room I get about 15 bottles before I lazily chuck them in the recycling bin, I couldn't see myself holding anymore (and I doubt my landlord would be happy).

        • whooah1979 on 24/10/2017 - 19:24

          I couldn't see myself holding anymore (and I doubt my landlord would be happy).

          I'm imagining the international students will be hoarding bottles and cans in their tiny share rooms to pay for the rent or noodles.

        • trustnoone on 24/10/2017 - 20:05

          @whooah1979: hahaha I would totally do this if I was still at uni, although thinking about it, this is a great way for me to get money for washing XD!!

      • argonide on 24/10/2017 - 19:20
        +2

        I did $40 last week and it was basically 3 garbage bags worth. It's usually better to do cans because they take up less space when crushed.

        • natman on 09/03/2018 - 13:53

          In NSW, crushed cans are not accepted for refund. All cans/bottles etc have to be uncrushed with the label/barcode still attached.

        • SnoozeAndLose on 23/03/2018 - 22:34

          @natman:

          Some bottle has no bar code but will still be accepted e.g. coles 600ml water bottle

  • Diji1 on 24/10/2017 - 20:26
    +2

    Many people do it in SA.

    It leads to the sight of people going through bins all over the place, walking around with sacks of cans and bottles on their backs.

  • foxmulder on 24/10/2017 - 20:42

    Costco 30 bottle of water is around $6. Those 30 bottles worth $3 in recycle.

    • mskeggs on 24/10/2017 - 20:48
      +1

      It is a deposit, so you will see the cost of packaged drinks increase.

  • mskeggs on 24/10/2017 - 20:50
    +1

    We used to collect aluminium cans when we were kids, and in my Dad's day there were still deposits on beer bottles.
    At 10c a throw, I expect our kids will be heading up each week with a bag of containers. $2 buys a lot of lollies if you are a 10yro.

  • Euphemistic on 24/10/2017 - 21:00
    +3

    A guy at work told of the good old days when he would return bottles to the local milk bar. Then later go and hop over the back fence and steal them and return them elsewhere.

    Also when a kid we would have 'bottle drives' where scouts etc would go and knock on people's doors to collect their bottles, then cash them in. Great way to raise a bit of dish, but scrounging around under overgrown gardens and fighting the red backs for a few dollars was a hard way to earn a few dollars.

    I reckon it will be a good thing, but not a money making scheme

  • mick123 on 24/10/2017 - 21:49
    +7

    My neighbour Newman has a truck if anyone wants to use it for this.

  • peterpeterpumpkin on 24/10/2017 - 22:48

    Since I was kid it seems that littering has become less of a problem. At least in my area.

    I wouldn't go investing in a rickshaw, for example. But since this is Australia, I'm sure a few councils would get me arrested for rummaging. Without a licence.

  • Nugs on 25/10/2017 - 06:02

    Another SA resident here.

    As a family of five we buy enough soft drink/flav milk/juice/beer etc to get back around $50 per year (500 units = 1 unit per person every 3 days or so)
    Having friends over for the odd bbq, xmas relo visiting etc bumps up the yearly haul.
    Two trips to bottle yard thru the year.

    We spend it on our Royal Show entry ($60ish) and leftovers are spent on the day.

    As a child it was 5c per can and we would do the rounds at footy. You could also take 1 litre glass Coke/Tab bottles back to local deli for 20c a pop. A plastic crate was worth $2, although that was a rare find.

    And yes, I do factor in deposit when deciding if that slab of cans is a bargain or not.

    • boostpak on 26/05/2018 - 13:49

      what about the fuel, maintenance for your car that it costs to get there and back.. Is it really worth some pocket change to hoard that many cans all year round.

  • Birchy on 25/10/2017 - 08:34
    +1

    Been doing it in S.A. for awhile . I have the large square wool bale bags (two) of which I hang of the fence around the side of the house. One for cans and one for plastic bottles. Full bale of cans = about $70 and plastic bottles = about $50. Which = Two more slabs of beer and a packet of snags for beer and BBQ . Perfect way to start collection of again:)

  • Geoff-bargain on 26/10/2017 - 17:17

    I used to do this in the Netherlands. It was just a part of my shopping/recycling. Although there I would also return beer creates so the money getting back was quite a bit more. Also they didn't really have a recycling alternative

  • Casper86 on 18/11/2017 - 18:31

    What an absolute load of rubbish, another tax and another gouge forced onto the beer drinker.
    I already put my empties in the recycle bin, so why hit me up again on already overtaxed alcohol.

    Sure, I`ll clutter up my residence with dozens of empty beer bottles, and then go to a recycle location for a long protracted paltry refund, cost me more in petrol to get there, they have not even listed the refund points.

    This will NOT stop any dumpers, charities already get refunds for bottles.
    An idiotic scheme, clouded by a false and misleading reason behind its implementation, Im sick and tired ofCoughing up`

    • Brendoo on 18/11/2017 - 20:33
      +1

      The plan now is to keep the yellow bin inside the house, not get it emptied by the council anymore (for bottles/cans) then wheel it up to Woolies once every couple of weeks and one by one put each bottle into the recycling machine while you wait behind lots of people with bins and garbage bags filled with bottles doing the same. Brilliant. World class.

      Quite amazing how ridiculous this is.

      Oh, and gives Woolies yet more reason to jack up their prices on drinks. They already announced they are raising drink prices by more than the deposit scheme refund amount. See here from my store this week:
      https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/133982/53979/woolies.j…

      I totally agree, the yellow bin council recycling scheme is great and causes 90%+ of household recyclables to get recycled and it is so easy. Now due to being slugged significantly by the retailers from Dec 1st, you either have to cop that punch to the face, or you have to stop using the yellow bins, waste tons of time and energy to take your bottles/cans to Woolies or another refund place (and you will still be behind financially). Pure madness.

      The issue is recycling when in public. This scheme doesn't tackle that, it just penalises people who recycle at home via yellow bins.

      Issue to fix this issue is simply having recycling bins absolutely everywhere in public. As we know they are rare as hen's teeth because no one wants to supply/empty the bins. I guess the Govt is hoping that with 10c per bottle the scavengers will scour the streets, parks, rivers and clean up the bottles/cans to get the 10c. They forgot that scavengers aren't stupid - they will just raid all of the yellow recycling bins on garbage night instead, it's quick cash.

      • whooah1979 on 18/11/2017 - 20:49

        you have to stop using the yellow bins,

        we normally recycle when possible. we won't bother when this kicks in and just chuck it all in the bin. both at home and in public. let the scavengers make some money and have them empty the rubbish from the bins on the footpath.

  • Brendoo on 18/11/2017 - 19:25
    +1

    And I guess all you Woolies shoppers have seen the signs spread throughout the drinks sections of Woolies announcing that the prices of the drinks are rising due to the refund scheme? Note that Woolies are increasing the prices higher than the deposit refund. So no matter what you do, even if you go and recycle/refund every bottle you buy, you will still go backwards. What a joke. I'm in NSW.

    I took a snap of one of the signs in my local Woolies this week:
    https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/133982/53979/woolies.j…

  • Casper86 on 18/11/2017 - 21:04
    +1

    I hear you Brendoo, last week my 6 packs cost $22, now I have to cough up $22.80.
    Its a win/win for the government, only the hardiest of tightwads are going to go to all the trouble and inconvenience of turning their garage intoSteptoe and son` to collect a pitiful refund, they, all of us are already in the red.

    The dumpers will still chuck their empties into the bush, as responsible consumers we all have to suffer this new pathetic gouge, and the insult is the reason forwarded.

    The refund for bottles scheme has existed for the last 50 years, when I was a kid people used to deposit empties behind the scout hall for charity refund.
    The government falsely announces to us that the brewers are in agreement, what a crock, the small breweries are already struggling and totally appose this new ripoff which has a massive negative impact on their products.
    I cannot voice my disapproval any stronger on this new ridiculous rip off tax, any misguided boofhead greenie who may disagree, let me say, if you what me to acknowledge and respect your opinion, then please, acknowledge mine.

    The next move will be a tax on wine bottles, lets see how many cop that, its a never ending cycle of reaming us.

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