Brian Stewart has been collecting and recycling cans for more than half his life.
However, it is only in the past 12 months that he has been making money from his hobby.
Every week, the 63-year-old hops on a modified bike with a can-carrying trailer and rides around the streets of Camperdown, in south-west Victoria, scouring local bins and collection sites.
Once his trailer is full, he stores his bounty in old wool bales before loading them into a ute and taking them to the reverse vending machine in Terang, a 20-minute drive down the road.
“I’ve always collected cans,” Mr Stewart said.
“Good money in them — that’s probably underselling it.”
Mr Stewart with his caravan. (ABC South West Vic: Daniel Miles)
On his first day putting cans through the Victorian government’s Container Deposit Scheme system, he raised $400 courtesy of a 10-cent refund on each eligible container.
Mr Stewart has since collected more than $10,000 in a 12-month period — the product of more than 100,000 bottles and cans.
It was enough to help buy a new caravan.
“This is can money,” he said, standing with pride in front of his new purchase.
Brian Stewart with the caravan he purchased with money from the Container Deposit Scheme. (ABC South West Vic: Daniel Miles)
Progress report
It has been 12 months since the Victorian government introduced the Container Deposit Scheme.
The Allan government launched the program with the lofty aim of helping to divert 80 per cent of material from landfill by 2030.
Within a year, more than 900 million eligible containers have been sent through the system resulting in $90 million in rewards.
A state government spokesperson said around one in three containers were returned and recycled through the scheme.
But those who run the program on behalf of the government in the state’s west think there is room to grow.
Tony Catania is the general manager at TOMRA Cleanaway. (ABC South West Vic: Daniel Miles)
“So far, 10 cents provides a really good base to start with but, in the future, we’d be hoping that amount would be able to be increased over time,” said the general manager of container recycling organisation TOMRA, Tony Catania.
“In Europe, my understanding is the return rate or refund rate is somewhere around the equivalent of 40 cents.
“Now that may be a bit ambitious, but if we could do something a little bit better than 10 cents in the future — that’d be a great start.”
But the state government said the current refund would remain fixed, and that any increase “would need to be considered at a national level”.
Jim Round, the CEO of VicReturn, the company that manages the scheme on behalf of the government, was less diplomatic.
“An increase in the deposit amount is not currently being considered,” Mr Round said.
Pass marks only
Trevor Thornton is a senior lecturer at the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at Deakin University.
He said the scheme should be given a pass mark in its first year, but only just.
“I’d give them a C minus,” Dr Thornton said.
Trevor Thornton thinks Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme has room for improvement. (ABC News: Scott Jewell)
He said the scheme had some teething problems, but had improved over time.
Dr Thornton said the limitations on what bottles were deemed eligible remained an issue.
“We had the opportunity to really lead the nation,” Dr Thornton said.
“And now the other states are going to be including [wine bottles]. We would have known about that. Why didn’t we go down that pathway to start with?
“If we had done that, I would have been tempted to give [the scheme] an A.”
But Mr Round said such bottles were not included as they were more appropriate for household kerbside recycling.
“The containers that are currently eligible for a refund are those that are most commonly found as litter in our streets, beaches, waterways, and parks across Victoria,” he said.
”They are the type of beverage containers you might consume on the go when you are outside or away from home. ”
Mr Stewart has a little work to do on the caravan before it is ready to travel. (ABC South West Vic: Daniel Miles)
Pedal to the metal
Back in Camperdown, Mr Stewart is not slowing down his collecting.
One of the biggest days of the year for him was Camperdown Cup day in mid-January, where he previously collected eight bales full of cans and bottles from thirsty racegoers.
“Everyone in town knows me,” Mr Stewart said with a laugh.
Brian Stewart has spent more than half his life collecting and recycling cans. (ABC News: Daniel Miles)
After that, it is straight to Yambuk for some feet-up time and a fish.
That will be his new caravan’s maiden journey, once he gets a few minor electrical issues sorted out.
“[The caravan] blew a fuse in my house when I connected it the first time, so I’ve got an electrician coming to look at it,” Mr Stewart said.
Mr Stewart’s caravan has clocked some serious miles with a previous owner. (ABC South West Vic: Daniel Miles)
The van itself is well-travelled. A map on the inside door shows its journey around Australia.
But Mr Stewart said he would be happy just to take it down the road, as soon as the wiring is fixed.
Once that is done, it will be a matter of packing his dog, his esky, and his tackle box and heading out fishing.
With maybe a spot of can collecting too, just for fun.
