Recycling FAQ

Kerbside recycling is good, but Return and Earn is better for containers. When drink containers go through the container deposit scheme they are collected as a clean, single stream, so far more of them are actually recycled into new bottles and cans rather than downgraded or sent to landfill. You also get paid: every eligible container returned at our Casino depot earns a 10c refund, which is money that simply disappears when the same bottle goes in the yellow bin.

The 10c refund is part of the NSW Government's Return and Earn container deposit scheme. Beverage suppliers pay into the scheme for every eligible container they sell in NSW, and that money is handed back to whoever returns the container. It is not a discount or a promotion — it is a refund you are entitled to on every eligible bottle, can or carton, and it never expires.

Most drink containers between 150 mL and 3 litres are eligible: plastic and glass bottles, aluminium cans, liquid paperboard cartons and some flavoured milk and juice containers. Look for the '10c refund at collection points in participating state/territory of purchase' wording on the label. Wine and spirit bottles, plain milk, cordial and large juice containers over 1 litre are generally not eligible. If you're unsure, the official eligibility checker on the Return and Earn website lists every accepted product.

It adds up faster than most people expect. A household that gets through a slab of soft drink or beer a week returns around 30 containers, which is $3 a week or over $150 a year. Add water bottles, juice boxes and sports drinks and many local families bank $300 to $500 a year from containers they were previously throwing away. Sporting clubs, schools and community groups in Casino and Kyogle regularly use container collection drives as a fundraiser.

Because containers come through the automated depot as a clean, sorted stream, they are sent straight to specialist recyclers. Aluminium cans are melted and turned into new cans within weeks. PET plastic bottles are shredded into flakes and made into new food-grade bottles, packaging and fibre. Glass is crushed into cullet and remelted into new bottles or used in road base. Very little of what you return at our depot ends up in landfill.

Recycling one aluminium can saves around 95% of the energy needed to make a new can from raw bauxite. Recycling PET plastic saves roughly two thirds of the energy compared to making new plastic from oil. Every container returned is also one less item blowing into the Richmond River, washing down to the coast or breaking down into microplastics in the bush. Since Return and Earn began, drink container litter across NSW has fallen by more than half.

No. Leave the lids on — they are recycled along with the bottle — and there is no need to remove labels or rinse anything. Just empty the container so it is not full of liquid. The one thing that really helps is keeping the barcode intact and visible, because the automated counting machine scans the barcode to confirm each container is eligible. Crushed cans and squashed bottles cannot be scanned, so keep them in their original shape.

Reverse vending machines take containers one at a time, so a big bag can take a long time to feed through. An automated depot like Casino Return and Earn is a staffed bulk counting centre: you hand your containers to one of our team, they are tipped into a large hopper and counted automatically while you wait, and you're paid your refund on the spot. It is the fastest way to return large quantities, which makes it ideal for households, businesses, clubs and fundraisers.

Yes, and many do. Cafés, pubs, sporting clubs, schools and childcare centres across the Casino, Kyogle and Lismore area bring in bulk bags and wheelie bins of containers. The automated depot is designed for volume, so a car or ute full of containers is no problem. If you are planning a large drop-off or a community fundraising drive, give us a call on 0400 884 091 and we can suggest the best time to come in.

We are at 3 First Avenue, Casino NSW 2470 — a short drive from Kyogle, Coraki and Lismore. Opening hours are Monday to Friday 7 AM to 3 PM and Saturday 7 AM to 1 PM. We are closed on Sundays. Refunds are paid on the spot and our team is happy to help first-time visitors work out which containers are eligible.