Containers for Change hits 650,000 milestone in four months

Banksia Grove residents have recycled 650,000 empty drink containers through Containers for Change, just four months after the opening of a local TOMRA Reverse Vending Centre (RVC).

The milestone means that $65,000 in refunds have gone into the pockets of the local community, clubs and charities. For every 650,000 bottles recycled, 27.9 kilograms of material is saved from landfill, 3,818,100 litres of water and 846,950 megajoules of energy are saved and 78,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are cut.

“We are delighted to see the Banksia Grove community get behind Containers for Change, recycling more than 650,000 containers in the space of only four months. Recycling 10 cent containers is an easy way for locals to not only make extra cash, but also to reduce the bottles and cans being littered in the environment or ending up in landfill,” says Ryan Buzzell, TOMRA Collection President.

The 650,000 milestone supports the findings of new research from TOMRA, which show that 68 per cent of Western Australians regularly return bottles and cans through a recycling scheme. Alongside this, 98 per cent believe it’s important to incorporate sustainable practices into daily life.

“At TOMRA, we’re committed to supporting Western Australians to make more sustainable choices. We strongly encourage everyone to get involved with Containers for Change and do their part to protect the environment around them,” Buzzell said.

TOMRA allows residents to return their containers through reverse vending machines for a 10-cent refund. Recyclers have a choice of a retail cash refund, or a direct digital transfer to PayPal or their bank account via their Containers for Change Member number. They can also choose to donate their refund to one of the 5000 charities, schools or community groups signed up with Containers for Change, including the Australian Marine Conservation Society and Bush Heritage Australia in the Protect our Planet campaign.

The Banksia Grove recycling centre is one of seven TOMRA return points available across Perth.

For more information, visit: https://www.containersforchange.com.au/wa/