Return and Earn results in recycling, refunds, and revenue

Over 725 million containers have been processed at Return and Earn sites operated by the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW over the lifetime of our involvement in the scheme. 

For context: that’s enough water saved through recycled containers to fill 1,700 Olympic-sized swimming pools! 

Every container processed through our Return and Earn depots makes an impact in more ways than one.

Recycled containers help to reduce waste from ending up in landfill. Refunds generated through the scheme provide income to be reinvested into local communities. And as a Return and Earn operator, the Society NSW uses funds raised to support more than 100 programs and services delivered throughout the state.

Launched by the NSW Government in 2017 to reduce litter through a 10-cent per container refund, the Society NSW was an early adopter of the Return and Earn scheme with over-the-counter deposit points initially at our Vinnies Shops, before expanding to statewide bulk automated depots.

The ethos of sustainability at the heart of Return and Earn has long been a part of our work at the Society NSW.

With our Vinnies Shops being at the forefront of shaping a circular economy where pre-loved clothing is given a second life rather than ending up in landfill, our involvement in the Return and Earn scheme is a natural extension of our commitment to recycling.

An incredible 157,550,466 containers were recycled across our ten Return and Earn sites during the past year, accounting for enough carbon emissions avoided to take 11,450 cars off the road and enough energy saved to power 2,150 households for a year respectively.

The success of the scheme can be seen through the volume of containers processed increasing by 20% on the previous year. As a result of this demand, we were able to provide over $15 million in refunds, giving customers money in their pockets to reinvest in the community, while generating $2.87 million in net income for the Society NSW.

Major milestones have been achieved in recent months with Dubbo, Penrith, and Wagga Wagga each processing their 100 millionth containers and Wollongong and Nowra collectively hitting 200 million containers recycled.

For people accessing our Return and Earn sites, the convenience of drive-through service has kept customers coming back for more. The bulk nature of our automated depots means that up to 100 containers can be processed per minute without needing to separate plastics from glass. The ease with which large volumes of items are processed for recycling has proven especially popular among local businesses, sporting teams, and schools.

The NSW Government is set to expand the scheme to include wine and spirits glass bottles, cordial and juice concentrate containers, and larger containers, up to three litres, of beverages that are already in the scheme, like flavoured milk, fruit and vegetable juice. These changes will come into effect by late-2027 to allow more people to Return and Earn for the good of the environment, community, and Society NSW!

We currently have ten automated depots located throughout the state in Dubbo, Cardiff, Griffith, Maitland, Nowra, Penrith, Tamworth, Tweed Heads, Wagga Wagga and Wollongong. Find your nearest Return and Earn site.