25 July 2019

Five more locations get on board with the ACT container deposit scheme

| Lachlan Roberts
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Around 200 million eligible containers are sold each year in the ACT, but only around 30 per cent are being recycled. File photo.

Five new ‘cash for cans’ return points have opened in Gungahlin, Tuggeranong and Belconnen, as the ACT Government continues to roll out its container deposit scheme to encourage more recycling.

New pods located at Charnwood Shops, Hawker Shops, Tuggeranong recycling drop off centre, Kambah playing fields and Amaroo playing fields are now open to the public, just a month after the Government opened four new express return points at IGA Evatt, Anglicare Phillip, IGA Farrer and Gungahlin recycling drop off centre.

More than 28 million containers have been recycled through the scheme since it began on 30 June last year, with the five new return pods bringing the number of return points in Canberra to 21 – including return points operated by Vinnies, Salvos or Anglicare.

The ACT Government ran a trial of a shipping container ‘pod’ style model at the Gungahlin recycling drop off centre in O’Brien Place, which was successful with up to 15,000 containers dropped off at the pod per week.

On behalf of the Minister for City Services Chris Steel, Member for Yerrabi Suzanne Orr said the government wants to provide Canberrans with even more convenient locations to return containers.

Ms Orr said the community was really getting behind the container deposit scheme, with over 20 million containers being returned since December last year.

“It’s great to see Gungahlin residents using the container deposit scheme with up to 15,000 containers per week dropped off at the pod at the recycling drop off centre in O’Brien Place,” she said.

“We want to make the container deposit scheme more accessible and encourage more people to deposit containers so we have introduced five more pod locations in Gungahlin, Tuggeranong and Belconnen.”

Under the scheme, people can return eligible cans and bottles and receive ten cents for each, with Canberrans able to receive the refund via cash, electronic refund or donating to charity at all 21 return points.

Locations are: Amaroo playing fields, Charnwood shops, Hawker shops, Kambah district playing fields, Tuggeranong recycling drop off centre, Fyshwick bulk depot, Mitchell bulk depot, Phillip bulk depot, Gungahlin recycling drop off centre, ACT Basketball, IGA Evatt, IGA Farrer, Vinnies Belconnen, Vinnies Dickson, Vinnies Tuggeranong, Salvos Tuggeranong, Salvos Phillip, Salvos Mitchell, Salvos Fyshwick, Anglicare Jamison and Anglicare Phillip.

The pods are open 7 am to 7 pm seven days a week, so Canberrans can return containers during the day, before or after work and on the weekend.

For more information, including container eligibility, how and where to return, and to create an account, click here.

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Last time I tried to drop off cans, I was told they had to be in a large clear plastic bag. Confused messaging, Mr Barr!

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