Container deposit scheme teams up with Good Friday Appeal

VICTORIA’S container deposit scheme (CDS) has partnered with the Good Friday Appeal, making it easier for community members to donate to the Royal Children’s Hospital’s annual fundraiser.

The move will see the charity receive priority placement and promotion at deposit sites across the state.

The Good Friday Appeal has been raising funds for the Royal Children’s Hospital since 1931, with donations supporting the hospital to purchase equipment, fund research, and provide ongoing education and training for its staff and family-centred care for its patients and their families.

Until April 30, community members will be able to donate to the appeal by returning their eligible containers for a 10-cent refund at one of the about 150 refund points located within the region.

Members of the Good Friday Appeal community, including the CFA, volunteers, schools and businesses, will also collect containers to return for refund donations in the lead up to Easter.

Good Friday Appeal executive director Rebecca Cowan said the charity was thrilled to be CDS Vic’s first statewide donation partner.

“Victorians have an innate generosity for helping, and by donating your containers, this is another way to be able to support the community and give to the Good Friday Appeal.

“For 93 years, the community has united to raise money for the Good Friday Appeal to support sick kids and provide lifesaving care at the Royal Children’s Hospital.

“By donating 10 cents from each container, this will continue to create meaningful change.”

The partnership will act as a trial and the results will be reviewed to determine if a statewide donation partnership model should be adopted permanently.

Since the scheme’s launch on November 1, more than 220 million eligible containers have been deposited at refund points, and more than 2,000 donation partners have registered with CDS Vic.

Environment minister Steve Dimopoulos said: “Every year Victorians show their incredible generosity by donating to the Good Friday Appeal and our new container deposit scheme is a great new way to support this important fundraiser.”

“We are working hard to build Australia’s most successful, convenient and accessible container deposit scheme and as the scheme grows so does the number of donations to hardworking charities and community groups.”

This year, Good Friday falls on April 29.

For more information, or to find your nearest CDS refund point, head to cdsvic.org.au