The rollout of refund points for Tasmania’s container refund scheme, Recycle Rewards, continues with two new Reverse Vending Machines opening in the Clarence municipality on Hobart’s eastern shore. Clarence is one of Tasmania’s fastest growing municipalities.
An RVM has been installed to replace the over-the-counter refund point in historic Richmond and a new RVM opened at the Eastlands shopping centre in Rosny – in time for World Environment Day. There are now five refund points in the Clarence municipality, with three other RVMs located at Lauderdale’s Foreshore Hotel, Howrah’s Shoreline Plaza and Glebe Hill Village – one of the busiest refund points in the state.
“When it comes to reducing waste and promoting sustainability we have had great buy-in from the community, said Clarence City Council Mayor Brendan Blomeley. “The immediate popularity of the Recycle Rewards program in Clarence is further proof the community supports environmentally responsible actions.
We are proud to champion the benefits of the Recycle Rewards program, and we will continue to embed sustainability in our operations and planning to ensure Clarence remains clean, liveable and resilient for generations to come.”
The new refund points increase Tasmanians’ access to Recycle Rewards refund points, making returning eligible containers easier for everyone. With more than 40 convenient and accessible refund point across the state, including on King and Flinders Islands, more than 85% of Tasmanians can access a refund point within 10km of their home. Every eligible drink container returned receives a 10c refund, which you can keep for yourself or donate to a local charity or community group.
“Recycle Rewards is transforming how Tasmanians recycle, making it easier for every one of us to do the right thing,” said Minister for the Environment Madeleine Ogilvie. “The 10 cent refund helps keep eligible containers out of landfill, and litter out of our precious environment. This is good for Tasmanians, good for the environment, and good for our local community groups too.”
Tasmanians have embraced the new container refund scheme, returning more than six million eligible containers since Recycle Rewards launched on 1 May.
“By separating eligible drink containers from traditional co-mingled recycling, Tasmanians are creating clean streams of recycling that help build Australia’s circular economy,” says TasRecycle CEO Ken Roughley. “This reduces our reliance on virgin raw materials and fossil fuels and helps keep our beautiful state in a beautiful state.”
The state’s top refund points are spread right across the state. Devonport in the northwest is the state’s busiest site, followed by Claremont, Bridgewater, Kingston and Glebe Hill in the south, and Mowbray and Kings Meadows in the north. Aluminium continues to be the top material returned, accounting for approximately 65% of returns. Plastics made up about 20%, glass 13% and liquid paperboard carton about 2%.
Visit recyclerewards.com.au for more information about Recycle Rewards, including container eligibility, refund point locations, signing up as a Donation Partner and how to make the most out of your fundraising effort.