The cans and bottles in your recycling bin are worth money under the government’s new deposit scheme – but someone else will get that.
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Wollongong City Council are in discussions with collection company Visy as to how that money will be divvied up.
Under the container deposit scheme, contractors who collect kerbside recycling bins can claim the refund for eligible bottles and cans.
This is calculated via an Environment Protection Authority-approved method.
What happens to that money is now being discussed between council and Visy, a council spokesman said.
”When your yellow lid and red lid waste bins are collected, the contents are provided to Visy, council’s waste collection contractor,” the spokesman said.
“Many of the items received by Visy for recycling could be used in the container deposit scheme and are eligible for the refund.
“Council is working with Visy to reach an agreement on the distribution of this refund.
“Once this agreement has been reached, council will review how these funds may be distributed.”
The spokesman pointed out that once red and yellow-lidded bins are placed at the kerbside for collection, the items inside are “then the property of the contractors”.
“All residents now have the ability to take part in the container deposit scheme outside of council’s kerbside collection of waste and recycling materials,” the council spokesman said.
Some residents have already expressed concerns about people walking the streets, going through kerbside bins for any bottles and cans they can return for the 10-cent refund.
However, the spokesman said this was unlikely to be an issue.
“Other states that have begun their own container deposit schemes have not found this to be an issue,” he said.
“Council will monitor this situation in our local government area as the scheme progresses.”