The largest Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) in an Australian city – with the capacity to hold 30,000 containers at a time – has been installed at Federation Square’s Russell Street Extension.
The new RVM is located in one of the busiest areas of Melbourne, adding to the Victorian Government’s list of locations for the state’s Container Deposit Scheme (CDS).
The new RVM was opened in the last week of January, allowing residents, workers and visitors to cash in their eligible bottles and containers in the heart of the city centre, as well as two smaller RVMs operated by North Zone Operator Visy at Secure Parking locations on Queen Street and Mackenzie Street.
Since the scheme’s launch on 1 November 2023, Victorians have returned more than 1.3 billion bottles and containers and diverting up to one third from landfill in a just over one year.
Over the Christmas and new year period, a record-breaking 90.2 million containers were returned at vending machines across the state.
Victoria’s scheme has more than 650 sites in operation.
Tim O’Donnell, General Manager CDS Vic North Zone Operator, said they were thrilled to bring more recycling locations to the heart of Melbourne.
For more information, cdsvic.org.au
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