New South Wales' popular container deposit scheme, Return and Earn, has reached a staggering financial milestone, paying out $1.5 billion in refunds to the public since its inception. The nine-year-old initiative has now seen over 15 billion bottles, cans, and containers collected for recycling, marking a major win for the state's environmental efforts.
A Billion-Dollar Boost for Recycling and Energy Savings
Acting Minister for Climate Change, the Environment and Energy, Steve Whan, announced the landmark figure over the weekend of January 3, 2026. He highlighted the scheme's profound environmental impact, stating the collected containers have saved enough energy to power more than 200,000 homes for a year.
The program has also drastically cut carbon emissions, equating to removing over one million cars from the roads for a year. According to the scheme's coordinator, Exchange for Change, around two in every three eligible containers were recycled in the last financial year alone, diverting a massive 147,000 tonnes of material from landfill.
Public Embraces Scheme with Eyes on Future Expansion
Public trust and participation remain exceptionally high. Recent reports show approval ratings above 890 per cent, with more than 80 per cent of NSW residents having used the scheme. In Newcastle alone, locals have returned more than 350 million containers since the first reverse vending machines were installed.
"It's been amazing to see so many people make Return and Earn part of their regular routine," Exchange for Change CEO Danielle Smalley told the Newcastle Herald in 2024. The program operates on a cost-recovery model, funded by fees from beverage suppliers, and does not generate a profit.
Wine and Spirit Bottles to Join the Scheme from 2027
The state government is now planning a significant expansion to build on this success. From mid-2027, the scheme will be expanded to include wine and spirit bottles, which are currently not eligible for the 10-cent refund.
Minister Whan said this expansion is expected to make an additional 362 million containers eligible each year, diverting roughly 27,000 extra tonnes of material from landfill annually. "Return and Earn has doubled the recycling rate for beverage containers since it started," Mr Whan said.
"By accepting more types of containers in the future... NSW will boost recycling rates, divert more waste from landfill and deliver a more robust circular economy." The move signifies the next phase for a scheme that has fundamentally changed litter and recycling habits across the state, putting cash back into community pockets while delivering substantial environmental benefits.
