AT the start of November, a new Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) arrived at the IGA in Coleraine, and manager Paul Bosch is encouraging locals to donate the money to their local sports clubs.

Mr Bosch said the community have already put 14,800 cans or stubbies in the RVM which has got the machine off the ground and running and he wants people to know there’s a site in Coleraine for people to use, aside from the one in Hamilton.

“It’s open for our trading hours which is seven days a week and the weekends are really getting a hammering from the community - the main reason about the RVM was for us to make people aware that they can donate to their local sports clubs,” he said.

“TOMRA (RVM provider) approached us, they chased us for it but we had to negotiate to have it in a safe area and they wanted it indoors but I said no I don’t want the noise and the smell on everything indoors, so we negotiated that this (under cover at the back of IGA) is a safe place to have it.

“We are also putting bollards near the machine to stop people driving right up to the machine.”

The state-of-the-art RVM is just one of the refund point types in the region, bringing new jobs and economic opportunities for disadvantaged people, charities and communities; and it provides convenience and accessibility for eligible drink container returns across Victoria’s west zone.

TOMRA Cleanaway’s world-leading RVM technology scans and verifies each container as it’s deposited in a fraction of a second, and then provides options to either receive the refund amount as a retail cash voucher, via digital transfer direct to a bank account, or for the amount to be sent as a donation to a nominated charity or community group.

Residents can also download the CDS Vic West Zone app to check on the live status of their local refund point, verify container eligibility, and to manage and track container refunds.

The CDS Vic West Zone app also allows customers the unique opportunity to donate their container refund to a number of charities that have joined as charity partners for Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme.

RVMs can hold thousands of cartons, cans or bottles and TOMRA Cleanaway will use these materials to deliver high-value food-grade plastic and glass bottles and aluminium cans that will be recycled in a closed loop and could be back on retail shelves as soon as 6-8 weeks, helping to keep our rivers and waterways clean of waste.