Bega Valley Shire Council is launching a six-month trial of Return and Earn bin baskets in high-traffic locations across Bega, Eden and Merimbula from Monday 3 November.
The baskets will be attached to bins in public areas, allowing residents and visitors to dispose of their eligible bottles, cans and cartons responsibly. Other members of the public are then free to collect items from the bin baskets for recycling through the Return and Earn program.
Council's Waste Education Officer, Ms Kruse said the trial is about making it easier for people to recycle and keep public spaces clean.
"We know bottles and cans often end up in landfill when they're thrown away instead of recycled. These baskets make it easy for people to keep valuable materials out of the bin when they're out and about," Ms Kruse said.
"The baskets don't give refunds themselves, but they make recycling on the go so much easier.
"If you don't want to carry a container around, you can drop it in the basket, and someone else — maybe a community group, a volunteer organisation or another resident — can collect it and redeem the 10c at a Return and Earn machine.
"It keeps valuable materials out of landfill, reduces litter, encourages recycling and gives the community a chance to benefit from the refund."
Baskets will be installed at popular public sites across the shire, including:
- Bega – Carp Street, Littleton Gardens, Gipps Street bus stop
- Eden – Cocora Beach, Aslings Beach Lookout, Aslings Beach Carpark, Imlay Street, Quarantine Bay, Eden Lookout and Rotary Park, Eden Skate Park/Playground, Chandos Street
- Merimbula – Mitches Jetty, Bar Beach, Ford Park Playground, Market Street (in front of Merimbula Ice Creamery), Ocean Drive (opposite Cranky Café), Spencer Park.
Most aluminium, glass, plastic and carton drink containers between 150mL and 3L are eligible for the scheme, including everyday items like soft drink bottles, water bottles, juice poppers and cans.
Eligible containers can be identified by the 10c Refund logo on the label. A full list of what can and can't be returned is available at the Return and Earn website.
Find your closest Return and Earn collection point at returnandearn.org.au to redeem the 10c refund.
The trial will run until April 2026, with Council monitoring basket use, litter levels and community feedback to decide whether baskets stay in place, are relocated or, if successful, expanded to other parts of the shire.
"This is about more than recycling, it's about protecting the places we all love and working together as a community to reduce waste and litter," Ms Kruse said.
