NSW has reached a significant milestone during National Recycling Week, chalking up over 4.5 billion containers and bottles recycled since the introduction of the state's return and earn scheme.
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The scheme has contributed to a 40 per cent annual reduction in drink container litter and seen more than 420,000 tonnes of material recycled in the state since it launched in December 2017, Environment Minister Matt Kean said.
"In the first six months of this year, three out of every four eligible bottles and cans supplied in the state were returned through the scheme for recycling," Mr Kean said in a statement.
"These drink containers are now destined for use as a sustainable alternative, instead of littering our streets and contributing to landfill."
The scheme is part of Australia's largest waste and recycling initiative, with more than 3.6 million tonnes of waste diverted from landfill in NSW since it was introduced in 2012, Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment James Griffin said.
Australian Associated Press
