Australian supermarket Woolworths will be the first retail refund partner with Tomra Cleanaway when the Network Operator of the new Return and Earn Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) launches on December 1, 2017.
Under the CDS, consumers will be able to return eligible beverage containers for recycling in exchange for a 10-cent refund.
The arrangement with Woolworths aims to provide up to 180 collection points in metro and regional areas of New South Wales (NSW).
Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) kiosks will be located across the state for the return of eligible containers.
Consumers can donate their refund directly to selected charities or receive the refund via electronic payment to their registered account.
They can also use a credit voucher issued by the RVM towards their shopping at Woolworths or simply redeem for cash in certain Woolworths supermarkets across NSW.
The NSW Government introduced the CDS as a further initiative to help reduce the volume of litter across the state, with an expected reduction of 40% earmarked by 2020.
The RVMs provide an efficient recycling system, which ensures containers are collected free of contamination so they can be recycled multiple times in ‘closed loops’.
Containers returned to the RVMs are collected by Cleanaway and processed through a sorting center in Western Sydney.
The containers are then sold into both domestic and export markets for reprocessing.
