It’s been almost a year since the Victorian government launched its container deposit scheme, aiming to divert 80 percent of material from landfill by 2030. Whether it’s been successful is up for debate, with critics saying more containers need to be eligible, and the 10-cent refund should be increased. But it’s starting to pay dividends for those who collect containers.
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00:00Camperdown man Brian Stewart has been collecting cans for more than half his life.
00:08He estimates he's put through more than 100,000 containers through the Container Deposit Scheme
00:13since it began in Victoria a year ago.
00:1612 months I've been feeding through the machine here and I've put $10,000 through so far.
00:23He's even managed to buy a second hand caravan with the money.
00:27Can money, I used my can money.
00:31And he's not the only one making the most of the scheme.
00:36Victorians have returned more than 900 million containers to date, pocketing over $90 million
00:42in refunds, but there's calls to increase the refund amount from 10 cents.
00:48In parts of Europe, the return rate is about 40 cents.
00:52Now that may be a bit ambitious but you know if we can do something a little bit better
00:56than 10 cents in the future that would be a great start.
01:00There's also calls to widen the types of containers eligible to include wine and milk bottles.
01:07We had the opportunity to really lead the nation as such but you know wine bottles and
01:12there's a number of other ones that people are saying why weren't they included and now
01:16the other states are going to be including them.
01:18Vic Return says there are no plans to expand the list of eligible containers and that the
01:2410 cent refund will remain fixed, with an increase in the deposit amount not currently
01:30being considered.
01:32After collecting hundreds of thousands of cans over more than 30 years, Brian is looking
01:38forward to taking a well deserved break.
01:40He's going to pack the fishing rod and take his new caravan on its maiden voyage to Yambuk
01:46for a fishing trip.
01:48And upon his return, he'll get back to work.
01:52If I don't, I'll keep collecting.
01:55Hard work pays off.