The aim is to reduce the 160 million drink containers littered in our environment each year.
Expanding Return and Earn in parks in 2026
Council received funding from Exchange for Change (the container deposit scheme coordinator) for 100 recycling baskets in early 2026. The new baskets will:
- Support the community with cost of living pressures by making sharing and collecting eligible bottles, cans and cartons easier, safer and more accessible
- Increase recycling rates and decrease items sent to landfill
When? The baskets were installed in selected public spaces across the Inner West in June 2026.
What's accepted? Empty bottles, cans and cartons that are eligible for a 10c refund. For more information refer to the FAQs below.
Where to refund? A full map of sites is available at the Return and Earn website.
Return and Earn basket locations
You can view the map in a new window here.
Help us keep this map accurate. If you notice anything that doesn't look right, please contact rethink.waste@innerwest.nsw.gov.au.
Have lots of containers?
You can now take them to the new Return and Earn Bulk Depot at 54 Smidmore Street, Marrickville, near Marrickville Metro. It's open daily from 7am to 6pm.
It's easier to use because:
- Undercover drive through means no parking hassles
- It's fast - staff can process up to 100 containers per minute
- You don't need to pre-sort your cans and bottles
Return and Earn FAQs
Take your eligible empty container to a Collection Point for a 10-cent refund.
Collection Points will include Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs), like the one at Addison Road Community Centre, and over-the-counter sites.
To find a collection point near your go to the Return and Earn website.
You will have three options to receive a refund payment:
- Donating to a selected charity
- Receiving the refund into your registered account
- Taking a voucher into a retail partner to either redeem for cash or use towards your purchase
Most empty 150-millilitre to three litre beverage containers will be eligible for a 10 cent refund when presented to a collection point. Container materials that may be eligible for a refund include:
- PET
- HDPE
- glass
- aluminium
- steel
- liquid paperboard
Containers should be empty, uncrushed, unbroken and with the original label attached.
Containers that are not included in the scheme and do not qualify for a refund are:
- plain milk (or milk substitute) containers
- flavoured milk containers of one litre or more
- pure fruit or vegetable juice containers of one litre or more
- glass containers for wine and spirits
- casks (plastic bladders in boxes) for wine and casks for water of one litre or more
- sachets for wine of 250 millilitres or more
- containers for cordials, and concentrated fruit/vegetable juices
- registered health tonics
These drinks are predominantly consumed at home and are not found in the litter stream.
If you're short on time, can't access a drop-off point or would like a regular pick up for your business, there are several local services thar collect eligible bottles and cans directly from you.
This means you can still receive recycling refunds or donate them to charities/ community-based organisations, for less effort. A small service fee will be deducted from your refund. To find a service near you, search online for “Return and Earn home collection service.”
No. The lids are a valuable resource and will be recycled too. We don’t want lids ending up as litter.
A reverse vending machine is the opposite of a drink dispensing machine. You place an empty drink container into the machine, the machine scans the container for eligibility and you receive a voucher or donate to a charity.
These machines do not hold cash for security reasons.
Yes. The Container Deposit Scheme is designed to complement at home recycling systems. You can still place eligible containers in your recycling bin as the recycling service will continue to be important for containers that are typically consumed at home.
You will not personally receive the refund if you put containers in kerbside recycling.
TOMRA-Cleanaway has a hotline number for people to call with any queries, complaints or feedback about collection points. Please call 1800 290 691 or email enquiries@tcnsw.com.au.
Information and updates are available at EPA website and Return and Earn website.