About CDS Vic
Victorians use more than 3 billion drink containers every year. Too many end up as litter or in landfill. CDS Vic changes that.
For every eligible container you return, you’ll get 10 cents back, and help transform waste into new resources.
Together, we’re building a circular economy
CDS Vic is a recycling program. It’s funded by the beverage industry and is part of a broader government initiative to help improve recycling across the state and contribute to Victoria’s circular economy.
We recycle drink containers that people commonly consume when they’re out and about. The aim is stop them from ending up as litter on the streets, or in our parks and waterways.
Who makes it happen
VicReturn is a non-for-profit funded by the beverage industry, coordinates CDS Vic. VicReturn manages finances, auditing, fraud prevention and community education.
There are three zone operators – Visy, Return-It and TOMRA Cleanaway, who deliver refund points across Victoria. They manage daily refund point operations, refunds, and recycling.
The Victorian Government regulates CDS Vic to ensure it operates effectively and fairly.
How does CDS Vic work?
Each time you purchase a drink in a container that is eligible to be recycled through CDS Vic, you pay a small (10 cent) deposit. When you return your eligible containers to a CDS Vic refund point, you get your 10 cent deposit refunded back to you.
After you return them, your empty containers get sorted and processed to create clean material streams that get sold as commodities on the recycling market.
Containers that are collected and recycled through CDS Vic are not contaminated by other waste products. This means that they can be used for high value recycling into food grade glass, aluminium and plastics, as well as other applications, like industrial products and building materials.
In the videos below, we take you behind the scenes and show you what happens after you return a glass bottle and a plastic bottle.
Where does CDS Vic fit into existing recycling services?
CDS Vic complements your existing council kerbside recycling service. We work closely with councils to make sure that as many drink containers as possible across Victoria can be recycled.
The lifecycle of a drink container starts from when it is first manufactured. But what happens to those containers once people have consumed the drinks and throw the containers away? Unfortunately, many of them end up as litter or in landfill.
CDS Vic aims to capture as many eligible drink containers as possible, so that we can ensure they can be properly recycled.
Check out stories from our amazing community!
Primary students at Red Rock Christian College in Sunbury have really embraced their school’s new CDS Vic collections, and they’re motivated by community care, environmental action, and a healthy dose of competition.
At Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme (CDS Vic), we see every day how small actions – like returning a can or bottle – can create meaningful change.
A corgi getting a ride in the front of an electric bike is pretty adorable. Add some containers, and that’s even better.
Our Commitment
We are committed to keeping Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme fair, safe and trustworthy. Fraud, corruption and misconduct have no place in our scheme.