• Waste and recycling
  • Sustainability

Over 200,000 containers collected through container deposit return points

Published 8 February 2024
The Victorian Container Deposit Scheme (CDS Vic) launched on 1 November last year. It's transforming drink containers into high-quality products while reducing litter in our streets, parks and beaches. In December alone, 200,000 containers were dropped off at return points in our City.

On top of providing individuals with a ten-cent refund, CDS Vic handles a variety of containers, including some that aren’t currently accepted in kerbside recycling. One example of this is small liquid paper board containers, often used to house flavoured milks or juices.

Now that a staffed, CDS Vic depot has opened in South Melbourne, we expect to see even more containers be returned by our residents.

Locals familiarising themselves with the reverse-vending-machines at CDS Vic's South Melbourne depot.

South Melbourne CDS Vic depot is here

The South Melbourne CDS Vic depot is the latest return point in our city. You can take virtually any beverage container there – just look out for the 10c symbol on the label for a 10c refund. You can even donate your earnings to a charity or not for profit. 

Located at 30 Thistlethwaite Street, opening hours are:

  • 8 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday
  • 9 am to 4 pm on weekends and public holidays

It’s fully staffed and provides a convenient and accessible experience for everyone. It’s perfect for those wanting to return a large number of containers.

Supporting CDS Vic in our City

CDS Vic compliments our kerbside and public place recycling services. It helps our community maximise recycling and reduce the amount of waste we send to landfill in two main ways.

Firstly, CDS Vic accepts items that aren’t allowed in our kerbside recycling, such as small liquid paperboard containers. In doing so, it prevents them from ending up in landfill or contaminating our recycling streams.

Secondly, CDS Vic has the potential to divert a significant quantity of CDS eligible material from our public recycling bins where it can be more effectively recycled as a separated waste stream from the point of collection and is free of contamination. At present, our public place recycling bins contain approximately 37 per cent of CDS eligible material.

Eligible containers 

Most 150 ml to 3L beverage containers are eligible for a 10-cent refund – provided they are made from glass, plastic, aluminium, steel or liquid paperboard. These are the containers most regularly consumed on the go and found in the litter stream.

Ineligible containers

CDS Vic focuses on beverage containers that are common litter items. It doesn’t include wine or spirit bottles – or larger items that are usually found in the home. As the scheme evolves, this may change. These can be placed in your kerbside mixed recycling bin or recycled through your local glass recycling hub.