For Mrs. Lý Tha Kim and Mrs. Nguyễn Ngọc Đệ, returning bottles through CDS Vic isn’t just about recycling. It’s a way to teach their grandchildren responsibility, kindness, and care for the environment. Every bottle tells a story of family, love, and community.
In Sunshine, Mrs. Lý Tha Kim, 81 and Mrs. Nguyễn Ngọc Đệ, 79 have turned the activity of returning drink containers into a part of family life. For them, each drink container is not just recyclable, but also an educational tool, an action that contributes to the community, and a way to teach their grandchildren to love the environment.
Mrs. Lý Tha Kim often collects drink containers with her granddaughter after they are used at home. What is special is that her granddaughter, though still very young, is proactive in picking up bottles whenever she goes out, bringing them home to save for returning them via CDS Vic.
Each time, Mrs. Kim takes her to the refund point in Sunshine West so that her granddaughter can operate the reverse vending machine herself and feel the value of “earning money from good actions.” She shared: “I want my granddaughter to understand that if she wants to buy something for herself, she can earn it on her own. This is her reward for being responsible ” For her, every bottle returned is a life lesson for the younger generation.
As for Mrs. Nguyễn Ngọc Đệ, her journey with CDS Vic began with the Australian Vietnamese Women’s Association (AVWA) where she first learned about the scheme. She shared that she wanted to contribute to protecting the environment where she lives. Her children and grandchildren often drink bottled beverages. Her son collects the bottles, and her husband is the one who takes them to a refund point. The refund is donated to the Royal Children’s Hospital or Sunshine Hospital by the family. She sometimes saves the drink containers and donates them to vulnerable people collecting drink containers on the street, as a way of giving back to the community.
Both grandmothers share the same wish: to sow in the hearts of their grandchildren a love for nature and responsibility for the community and environment. For them, CDS Vic is not just a recycling program, but a wonderful opportunity to connect to community and educate the younger generation.
