REMONDIS expands Western Australia CDS operations

REMONDIS is creating additional jobs for people with disability as it expands its involvement in Western Australia’s Container Deposit Scheme (CDS), widely known as Containers for Change.

Having recently been awarded a tender to run a new bulk sorting and counting facility alongside existing Containers for Change handling operations at its Canning Vale depot, REMONDIS will also enable the employment of additional people who might otherwise struggle to find jobs.

This is being done in collaboration with not-for-profit organisation Good Sammy Enterprises, which specialises in securing employment for people with disability or experiencing social disadvantage.

It’s expected that up to three full-time jobs will be created for disadvantaged people as the new bulk sorting and counting operations ramp up in coming months.

For the past three years REMONDIS has been tasked with handling all non-glass containers under the Western Australia CDS, including those made of plastic, aluminium, steel and liquid paper board in the Perth, Peel and Wheatbelt areas. This accounts for about half of all items being collected under the scheme.

As part of the new operations, REMONDIS will create a sorting line to handle beverage containers collected from self-serve kiosks around metropolitan Perth shopping centres.

“It’s a win-win that we can create more jobs for socially disadvantaged people while expanding our involvement in the highly successful Containers for Change scheme,” REMONDIS Australia Western Australia General Manager Chris Gusenzow said.

“The other big winner is the environment, given that we’ll be playing a greater role in recycling beverage containers which account for nearly half of all litter by volume in Western Australia.”

Good Sammy Enterprises Chief Executive Officer Kane Blackman said the additional employment opportunities through REMONDIS were welcome.

“We’ve played a pivotal role in the Containers for Change scheme since its inception three years ago, running more than 20 collection points across Western Australia,” Blackman said.

“It says a lot about the social disposition of companies such as REMONDIS when they embrace additional employment opportunities for some of the most marginalised and vulnerable people in our community.”

Launched in 2020, the WA Containers for Change Scheme ensures that more beverage containers – such as cans and bottles – are recycled, with 10 cents being refunded for each eligible item as a recycling incentive. The processed containers are freighted for recycling in Australia and overseas. About 2.7 billion 10-cent containers have been recycled under the scheme so far.

The scheme is a State Government initiative administered by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation and delivered with the assistance of WA Return Recycle Renew Ltd – a not-for-profit company responsible for establishing the collection network and managing day-to-day operations. Ensuring employment opportunities for socially disadvantaged people is a centrepiece of the scheme.

REMONDIS’ involvement in the Containers for Change scheme will continue for another four years.