Chewton raises thousands through service station's container deposit scheme drop-off hub

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 02:20:48 GMT

ABC Central Victoria / By Daniel Miles

When friends enviously admire Julie Leach's new tan, they ask if she's just returned from a trip to Bali or Thailand.

Little do they know, her new bronzed look is the result of countless hours spent sorting tin cans behind her regional Victorian service station.

Over the past week and a half, Ms Leach has collected and sorted around 60,000 cans and recyclable bottles from residents in and around the tiny town of Chewton, an old gold mining town south-east of Castlemaine.

To ensure her bounty isn't stolen, she's been sleeping at the service station overnight.

By her own admission, it's rather unlikely they'll be taken.

But the benefits those empty cans and bottles are giving her town can't be overstated.

"My family and friends think I'm a bit crazy, but it's amazing," she said.

Ms Leach's service station runs an over-the-counter service as part of Victoria's container deposit scheme (CDS), which launched earlier this month .

While some residents are happy to trade their empties for cash, a large portion of the town is donating its funds to local causes.

The CFA in Chewton and nearby Castlemaine have raised around $800 via Ms Leach's depot.

"I don't know if you can picture 60,000 cans, but it's a lot that's not going to landfill now … it fills my heart," Ms Leach said.

"At 10 cents a can, that's around $6,000 back to the community."

Turning bottles into big bucks

"It's actually giving me goosebumps [talking about it]," she said.

"Either way, it's not going into landfill.

"And that's all money that's being reinvested back locally, and that's going to be spent three, four or five times locally."

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Chewton raises thousands through service station's container deposit scheme drop-off hub

ABC Central Victoria / By Daniel Miles

Turning bottles into big bucks

Make the most of the season by following these simple guidelines