Melbourne Stars and Cricket Victoria sign new partnership with Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme

The Melbourne Stars and Cricket Victoria have signed a three-year partnership with Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme (CDS Vic).

The partnership comes as part of Green Sports Day 2025, an annual initiative designed to support the sporting community in leading the way for environmental change, and reaffirms the Melbourne Stars’ commitment to reducing its environmental impact and promoting sustainable practices.

CDS Vic is a recycling program that gives back to Victorians, the environment and the community by providing a 10-cent refund for each eligible drink container returned.

Through the multifaceted partnership, CDS Vic will become a Major Partner of Victoria’s Sheffield Shield team while aligning with the State’s Premier Cricket competition as an official partner. The partnership will also include scheme branding at Melbourne Stars home matches, including LED and big screens at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and CitiPower Centre.

Melbourne Stars General Manager Max Abbott welcomed the announcement and the impact the partnership will have on the Victorian cricket community.

“We are incredibly proud to be partnering with Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme, which will increase our capability as a club to make a positive environmental impact in our community,” Abbott said.

“This partnership has many positives for us, as not only are we playing our part in reducing waste that ends up in landfill, but we will also be raising funds for community cricket while we are doing it.

“We will be encouraging our players, fans and staff to think about their habits when it comes to litter reduction. Small changes in behaviour can make a big impact.”

The Cricket Victoria Foundation will also be a beneficiary of the partnership, with refunds from eligible drink containers collected at the CitiPower Centre to be donated to support local community and wellbeing outcomes through the Foundation.

Cricket Victoria Chief Executive Officer Nick Cummins praised CDS Vic’s commitment to Victorian cricket.

“We look forward to working with Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme to promote drink container collection across all events held at CitiPower Centre, our Premier Cricket competition and community cricket clubs.

“Through CDS Vic, our Community Managers at Cricket Victoria will be engaging with community cricket clubs, providing the tools and resources to register their club and help reach their fundraising goals.”

Victorians have embraced CDS Vic with more than 2.2 billion drink containers returned to date.

Marianne Doyle, interim Chief Executive Officer at VicReturn, CDS Vic scheme coordinator, said seeing the MCG lit up in green on Green Sports Day is a powerful reminder of how sport can inspire positive change.

“Together, we’re not only protecting the planet but also giving local cricket clubs a simple, sustainable way to fundraise through the scheme.”

For more information, visit: www.cdsvic.org.au