Inner West residents now have another convenient option to recycle their eligible drink containers with the installation of a new Return and Earn machine at Norton Plaza in Leichhardt.
The reverse vending machine, located in the multilevel car park near the entrance to Harris Farm at 101C/55 Norton Street, is open daily from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm.
It marks the 13th return point in the Inner West Council area, expanding access to the state’s popular container deposit scheme.
The Return and Earn initiative, which allows people to return eligible bottles, cans and cartons for a 10-cent refund, continues to see strong community engagement.
Since the scheme began in 2017, Inner West residents have returned over 222 million containers through local return points.
“Residents in the Inner West Council area are enthusiastic recyclers,” said James Dorney, CEO of TOMRA Cleanaway, the network operator for Return and Earn.
“More than 13.6 billion drink containers have been returned for recycling through the network of over 660 return points across NSW since Return and Earn began, resulting in over $1.3 billion in container refunds back in people’s pockets.”
The new machine offers users several refund options, including printed vouchers redeemable at Coles, e-vouchers, or direct payments to bank or PayPal accounts via the Return and Earn app.
Participants can also choose to donate their refund to one of more than 300 charitable organisations listed in the app.
Local causes include Leichhardt Espresso Chorus, a community choir that promotes affordable access to music, and SAFE Rehoming, which rescues and rehomes cats and dogs.
Return and Earn has become an important fundraising avenue for many not-for-profits across New South Wales, with over $72 million raised through donations and return point hosting fees since its launch.
More information about Return and Earn, including eligibility details and donation options, is available at www.returnandearn.org.au.
