2,808,116! Container Deposit Scheme helping the environment

The collection point for Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme located at Tarneit Central Shopping Centre continues to be strongly utilised by local residents and is impacting positively on the environment.

Introduced in November 2023, the scheme allows consumers to deposit certain approved types of drink cans, bottles, cartons and other forms of containers at the collection points in return for a 10c refund per item.

Recycling refunds can be received digitally with the free CDS Vic West app and can also be redeemed for shopping vouchers or donated to designated charities if desired.

Statistics recently provided by the scheme’s network provider for Western Metropolitan Melbourne and Western Regional Victoria, Tomra, reported that 2,808,116 items were returned via the Tarneit Central collection point in the six-month period from 1st January to 30th June this year, which is an incredible result.

The quantity of containers returned to the closed loop at Tarneit Central over the first six months of 2025 provided over $280,000 back to consumers in redemptions.

Importantly, calculations from the data reveal that a total of over 300 tonnes of carbon emissions were avoided and almost 170 tonnes of items saved from being added to landfill.

The 338,634 kilograms of CO2 avoided is the equivalent of keeping 125 cars off the road for a year, and the landfill savings of 168,461 amounts to enough waste to fill 18 garbage trucks.

The estimated water savings of 17 million litres equates to enough to fill 7 Olympic swimming pools, whilst the energy savings of 3,695 gigajoules is comparable to a household’s annual energy consumption spanning 30 years.

In less than two years across the duration of the scheme since its introduction in November 2023 up to 30th June this year, the site at Tarneit Central has now collected over 8.5 million returned containers.

What happens to the containers?