Vinnie’s Wagga Wagga Return and Earn depot has just passed a major milestone, with 100 million containers recycled. Photo: Supplied.
Wagga’s St Vincent de Paul Society Return and Earn depot has been recognised as one of the most successful in the country, with the centre passing a major milestone.
Since opening in 2020, the depot has returned more than 100 million containers, cans and bottles, meaning more than $10 million has been handed back to savvy recyclers.
The number of containers recycled through the centre has provided huge environmental benefits, with the energy diverted from making bottles and cans being the equivalent of the power needed to support 1365 households for a year.
St Vincent de Paul Society NSW Executive Director of Commercial Enterprise, Retail and Fundraising Phil Coyte said the water saved was equivalent to that used to fill 234 Olympic swimming pools, and carbon emissions avoided equated to the amount produced by 7267 cars in a year.
“Reaching 100 million containers is a huge achievement for the Wagga community,” he said.
“That’s $10 million going straight back to our residents, and every bottle or can dropped off at our depot helps fund programs which help support those doing it tough across the Wagga Wagga region.
“Wagga’s community spirit really shines through in this milestone. The way the residents have embraced Return and Earn demonstrates how simple actions can create enormous environmental and social benefits.”
James Dorney, CEO TOMRA Cleanaway, network operator for Return and Earn, said Wagga residents had shown that the Return and Earn program was a huge success.
“100 million containers returned is more than just a number; it represents a massive community commitment to recycling that directly powers the work of the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW,” he said.
“The community’s recycling through Return and Earn provides the critical funding the [St Vincent de Paul] Society NSW needs to provide crucial support. We are incredibly proud of this partnership and the significant difference it makes in Wagga Wagga.
“In the past year alone, 2500 people in the Wagga Wagga region received assistance from the [St Vincent de Paul] Society NSW, with almost $409,000 distributed to help locals afford essentials such as food, clothing, housing costs and more. Around four in five of these people came to us for food assistance, and three out of 10 sought help for the very first time.”
The Wagga Wagga depot is one of 10 Vinnies-operated Return and Earn depots across NSW. The centre, located at 90-92 Hammond Ave, is open seven days a week from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm.
