Return and Earn vending machine now operational at Ratrhmines

Source: The Lakes Mail | By: David Stewart | Posted: June 18, 2018

A RETURN and Earn reverse vending machine has been installed at Rathmines, taking some of the pressure off the busy station at Bonnells Bay.

The new machine, in the car park at Club Catalina, has also been well received by locals who have been eager to cash-in their plastic, glass and aluminium drink containers, or to donate the proceeds to charity.

Club secretary Ross Wylde-Browne said locals who preferred to donate the proceeds from their empty cans and bottles to charity would soon have choices.

“We can have local not-for-profit organisations as the recipients, and we’re currently in the process of setting it up so that people can donate their recycling proceeds directly to the local group of their choice,” Mr Wylde-Browne said.

Those local not-for-profit groups will appear as choices on the screens at the reverse vending machine.

I'm still lobbying for more of these machines to be placed around the electorate, particularly at or near Toronto.

- MP Greg Piper

Member for Lake Macquarie, Greg Piper, welcomed the addition of another Return and Earn station in Lake Macquarie.

But he said the rollout of the state government scheme had been the source of frustration for many locals.

“Availability of reverse vending machines and over-the-counter locations has improved greatly, reducing some of the frustration people had when having to travel a long distance to claim the refund, and often they would find the machines not operating,” Mr Piper said.

He said the new machine at Club Catalina was great news.

“But I'm still lobbying for more of these machines to be placed around the electorate, particularly at or near Toronto. I also believe that a site at Wyee is in the mix,” he said.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast and Hunter, Scot MacDonald, said a Return and Earn reverse vending machine had been installed at Woolworths, Lake Munmorah, last month.

“There has been widespread community support for Return and Earn, with over 328 million containers returned across the state since December 1,” Mr MacDonald said.

Most drink containers between 150ml and three litres are eligible for the 10c refund.