Hastings electorate
Paul MERCURIO (Hastings) (14:49): (425) My constituency question is to the Minister for Environment. Can the minister please tell me how often the reverse vending machines for Victoria’s container deposit scheme are emptied? The container deposit scheme has had a very successful two weeks, with over 5 million units being collected in the eastern zone, which is part of my electorate. There are three ways to exchange your cans and bottles for cash: there are the reverse vending machines, there are the over-the-counter collection points, such as local bottle shops, and then there are the depots. I want to give a big shout-out to Hoxton Industries, who have a depot in Wallis Drive, Hastings, and who employ local people with a disability. In the last two weeks they collected 100,000 items, which equates to 438 different transactions and a total of $10,000 going into the pockets of Victorians and CDS donation partners. People in my electorate can log on to returnit.com.au to get all the information they need to dispose of their cans and bottles responsibly. This is a great initiative by the Labor government, and it is great for our environment.