The Rotary Club of Cobar and Girl Guides are working together in Cobar to recycle.
When Return and Earn launched nearly five years ago, the Rotary Club of Cobar had already been returning aluminium cans for their scrap value to support a local retirement village.
Club Secretary Gordon Hill said it made sense to switch to the container deposit scheme. “Return and Earn provided greater income for the Rotary Club and an opportunity to assist other worthy causes in the community.”
It didn’t take long for the club to establish 16 dedicated deposit cages in different locations around Cobar.
“Rotary Club members check and empty the cages each week, and sort and pack the recyclable containers at our club recycling yard,” Gordon stated.
The club has also begun working with the local Girl Guides, who were looking for a community-based environmental program to assist.
“Each Saturday afternoon, two Girl Guide volunteers join us at our recycling yard to assist in sorting the bottles and cans,” Gordon advised.
“Since May this year, the Girl Guides have packed a total of 34,390 recyclable containers which will now not go to landfill.”
He explained that one of the benefits for the Girl Guides is the real world experience in seeing how much locally created waste can be recycled.
“It also provides a healthy opportunity for a challenge to see which girls can pack the most containers during a 1.5-to-2-hour session,” Gordon added. “At the present time, the record stands at 3,080, but the challenge continues!”
The sorted containers are taken to the Vinnies Bulk Deposit Centre in Dubbo in trailer loads every five or six weeks. Gordon said this is the most efficient way for them to return the volume they collect, with thousands of containers able to be processed in just 90 minutes.
Funds raised via Return and Earn support local community groups, charities and other initiatives, including The Royal Flying Doctor Service, the three school libraries, the community newspaper, and the Cobar High School Science and Engineering Challenge Team.
Gordon said the community has been highly supportive of the initiative, with nearly $25,000 raised through the 10 cent refunds since early 2020.