New Return and Earn depot to support significant recycling increase across the region

BALLINA has secured its first Return and Earn depot, making container recycling easier for residents, community groups and local businesses.

The facility was officially opened with representatives from Ballina Shire Council, local charities, schools and community groups.

The staffed depot can process up to 100 containers per minute and is designed to handle large volumes, making it particularly useful for sporting clubs, cafes, hospitality venues and charities.

It also offers a ‘tag and drop’ service, allowing customers to leave bagged containers for staff to process later, while ‘tip and go’ technology enables recyclers to return large quantities of eligible containers without pre-sorting.

 

TOMRA Cleanaway chief executive officer James Dorney said the depot would build on the region’s strong recycling record.

“Ballina Shire Council residents are enthusiastic recyclers, having returned almost 68 million eligible bottles, cans and cartons through local return points since the scheme began in 2017,” he said.

“The new depot’s ability to accept large loads of containers makes recycling convenient and accessible for keen users of the scheme.”

Residents can receive refunds as cash vouchers, direct bank transfers or PayPal payments through the Return and Earn app, or donate them to one of more than 500 registered charities and community groups.

Exchange for Change chief executive officer Danielle Smalley said the scheme continued to deliver environmental and community benefits.

“Return and Earn not only helps to achieve a cleaner and sustainable environment, it also delivers significant social benefits to the community as a key fundraising channel for so many charities and community groups in NSW,” she said.

The Ballina Return and Earn Depot is located at 20-22 De Havilland Crescent and is open daily from 7am to 6pm.