Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme, CDS Vic, is set to start on 1 November 2023. The scheme will reward Victorians with a 10-cent refund for every eligible can, carton and bottle they return.

Re.Group is pleased to confirm its Return-It entity has been selected as one of three Network Operators for Victoria. This exciting opportunity allows Re.Group and Return-It to expand our significant recycling operations in South East Melbourne and the Gippsland region, and we are thrilled to have been chosen for this important role.

Return-It will serve as Network Operator for CDS Vic in South East Metropolitan Melbourne and Gippsland. The local government areas that Return-It will operate in include the Bass Coast, Baw Baw, East Gippsland, Latrobe, South Gippsland, Wellington, Bayside, Cardinia, Casey, Frankston, Glen Eira, Greater Dandenong, Kingston, Monash, Mornington Peninsula, Port Phillip and Stonnington. More than 190 container return points will be established across these council areas.

As a network operator, Return-It will distribute refunds to consumers, as well as payments to refund collection point operators. The team will also report on CDS Vic participation and redemption rates.

Re.Group is an Australian company that was founded 10 years ago to be 100% focused on recycling and resource recovery. It is now almost five years since the first Return-It collection points were delivered through the ACT CDS with Return-It as the Network Operator, and since that time Return-It has grown to one of the largest operators of container return schemes across Australia, with existing operations in ACT, Queensland, Western Australia, and NSW.

Return-It directly employs more than 400 Australians across our container return network in other states, and we will double that as we grow our Victorian team over the coming months. We currently handle more than 50 million containers per month, which equates to more than $150,000 paid back to customers every single day. We know the huge impact this has in the communities we service, and we can’t wait to help Victorians access these benefits too.

The Victorian scheme provides an important opportunity to reduce litter and increase recycling rates, and the team looks forward to working closely with the community to ensure its success. Return-It’s focus will be on delivering an efficient and effective service, with a commitment to environmental sustainability and customer satisfaction
Return-It is passionate about providing local employment opportunities in these regions, with a clear focus on inclusivity to enable mutually beneficial outcomes for our all partners. We provide our existing partners with access to our integrated expertise and a range of customer support services and are excited to be able to offer the same service in Victoria. Return-It Victoria is looking to partner with suitable and like-minded organisations for the provision of complementary services, including logistics provision, the hosting of small format refund points (such as over the counter solutions), and the hosting of reverse vending machine kiosk installations, as well as Container Refund Point cash-back depot operators across the Southeast suburbs of Melbourne and Gippsland regions.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Victorian Government for entrusting us with this important role, and we look forward to collaborating with the other operators, scheme coordinator, and stakeholders to achieve our shared goals,” said Re.Group CEO, Dan Chesson, at the CDS Vic launch on Friday 14th April.

“We are thrilled to be a part of this initiative and are excited about the opportunities it presents for the Victorian community, as well as our business, our partners, and the environment. ” 

Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme is set to go live on 1 November this year. Return-It and Re.Group are dedicated to making a positive impact on the environment and working towards a wasteless society. The Group is looking forward to serving the community and helping to create a more sustainable future for all.

For more information on CDS Vic, visit vic.gov.au/container-deposit-scheme
For more information on Re.Group visit www.re-group.com