Victoria’s new Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) is making it easy for Victorians to donate their container refunds to a great cause this Easter by partnering with the Good Friday Appeal.
The annual Royal Children’s Hospital fundraiser will be the first statewide donation partner for the CDS, giving it priority placement on more than 145 reverse vending machines and promotion at more than 50 depots across the state.
The partnership will make it easy for Victorians right across the state to donate to the Good Friday Appeal by returning their containers for a 10-cent refund until 30 April.
Until Easter, the Good Friday Appeal community – including the Regional Area Managers, CFA, volunteers, schools, businesses and families, will also be collecting containers to return as refund donations.
CDS Victoria is trialling the Good Friday Appeal as a statewide donation partner and will review the results to determine if a statewide donation partner model should be adopted on a permanent basis – to help Victorian charities and community groups boost their fundraising and awareness efforts.
More than 2000 donation partners have registered with CDS Victoria so far. Beyond Blue was the top fundraiser in the scheme’s first two months, with almost $14,000 raised.
Victorians have embraced CDS Victoria since it launched on 1 November, returning more than 220 million containers and pocketing more than $22 million in refunds in just three months.
Container refunds can be exchanged for electronic or cash refunds, a retail voucher, or donated to a charity, local community or sporting group, or school registered with the scheme.
Minister for Environment Steve Dimopoulos says: “Every year, Victorians show their incredible generosity by donating to the Good Friday Appeal, and our new Container Deposit Scheme is a great new way to support this important fundraiser.
“We are working hard to build Australia’s most successful, convenient and accessible container deposit scheme and as the scheme grows so does the number of donations to hardworking charities and community groups.”
Good Friday Appeal Executive Director Rebecca Cowan says: “We are thrilled to be partnering with the Victorian Container Deposit Scheme as its first statewide donation partner. Victorians have an innate generosity for helping, and by donating your containers, this is another way to be able to support the community and give to the Good Friday Appeal.
“For 93 years, the community has united to raise money for the Good Friday Appeal to support sick kids and provide lifesaving care at The Royal Children’s Hospital. By donating 10 cents from each container, this will continue to create meaningful change.”
