A fairer recycling system

Businesses like theirs have been fighting for Victoria to introduce the system since before NSW implemented its Return & Earn scheme in late 2017.

They say price increases in NSW to accommodate the scheme were encouraging people living close to the border to go to Victoria for cheaper products, particularly alcohol, and then still get cash back from recycling their containers.

They also say Victorians have been using the NSW Return & Earn reverse recycle machines for years, bringing containers from their home towns in to NSW to get cash back.

‘‘We purchase our alcohol with an extra tax on it because people can get money back,’’ Mr Elliot said.

‘‘And (Victorians) come up here with trucks and trailers chock full with wool bags full of cans and bottles.’’

Mr Hallum said the introduction of the system in Victoria should impose the same taxes, and ‘‘make it a level playing field’’.

He said it should also reduce the ‘‘drain on the system’’ caused by Victorian usage of the NSW scheme.

‘‘It’s costing Return & Earn a lot more money because they have to send another truck here every day.’’

Mr Hallum said the other trade-off would be greater local usage of the Return & Earn machines found at Central IGA in George St.

Many locals have reported not using the system because the machines are often in use or full because of the exploitation of the system.

Victorian Member for Northern Victoria Mark Gepp said the CDS system would reduce the state’s litter by up to 50 per cent.

Mr Elliott said if used correctly, the NSW system could produce similar results.

He said while the machines have reduced litter in the community, the problem now is the mess being left by users at the Deniliquin reverse recycling machines.

In NSW, eligible containers are returned for 10c per can.

You can choose to have the money paid in to your PayPal account, cash it in for vouchers or donate it to a registered charity partner.

Victoria’s system will also have a charity partner option.