Portarlington Demons Football & Netball Club are one of the hundreds of local clubs and community groups raising money using the Victorian Container Deposit Scheme (CDS).

In the 18 months since the club signed on as a donation partner, they have raised thousands of dollars – that is tens of thousands of 10c containers recycled instead of littered or put in landfill in Portarlington alone.

Club Treasurer Chris, along with a team of volunteers, visits his local CDS drop off site most fortnights to deposit containers. Each wheelie bin full returns the club around $25.

While money is often the motivator, the scheme also encourages recycling at locations like sporting clubs that once would only have had rubbish bins. In the first two years of Victoria’s CDS, Greater Geelong recycled over 132 million eligible containers. 

The visual display of CDS collection bins at local sporting clubs is a great reminder for visitors that recycling not only helps the environment by using fewer raw materials, it can also benefit local causes. 

Environmental clean-up groups have also reported significantly less litter from drink bottles and cans in Geelong’s nature reserves.

$25 for a whole wheelie bin of containers may not sound like much, but the key to the Demons’ success was speaking to other local venues - such as a holiday park and golf course – to ask if they could put collection bins there. They’ve ended up with over 12 bins around Portarlington which they service regularly.

Grovedale Tigers Football & Netball Club are a newer donation partner. While Club treasurer Mick said raising funds can be difficult with more community groups competing for CDS donations, the Tigers have already funded new netballs through their collection. 

“If we can pick up some fundraising dollars for not a lot of effort, it will be great”, Mick said.

Chris said club activities offer the community so much more than just sports skills. The Demons’ Junior Development Program also aims to teach young people leadership skills through mentoring, mental health awareness and more, helping to create great members of the community, not just great players.

Anyone can support their local community cause by selecting ‘charities’ on the CDS app when depositing eligible containers at refund points. New community groups can also sign up to raise money at the CDS Vic website. 

It’s an easy way to help the environment and your local community through recycling.