Return and Earn in Yass
Published on 21 July 2026
Over the coming days Yass Valley Council will be installing 24 Return and Earn bin baskets on public bins to improve public place recycling and keep eligible bottles and cans out of the litter stream and landfills.
The bin baskets will be attached to council bins in high-traffic areas to enable people to leave their drink containers for someone else to collect.
Residents or community groups can then easily collect the containers from the bin baskets to recycle at a nearby Return and Earn location for the 10c refund.
A recent trial of the simple but innovative solution by Return and Earn scheme coordinator Exchange for Change, found the bin baskets were effective at reducing drink containers going into the public bins and landfill by up to 80 per cent.
The Return and Earn bin baskets have been installed at key locations including:
- Comur Street Yass
- Riverbank Park
- Banjo Paterson Park
- Coronation Park
Yass Valley Council residents are already enthusiastic recyclers at home, having returned over 31,445,982 million eligible bottles, cans and cartons through local return points since Return and Earn began in 2017.
More than 15 billion drink containers have been returned for recycling through the network of over 660 return points across NSW, resulting in over $1.5 billion in container refunds back in people’s pockets.
There is currently one return point in Yass Valley for residents to recycle their containers. Visit www.returnandearn.org.au to find your nearest location.
The bin baskets were provided by Exchange for Change as part of its Return and Earn Bin Baskets for Councils program.
Quotes attributable to Gayleen Burley, Yass Valley Council CEO:
“Bin baskets provide an easy and practical way to prevent eligible drink containers from ending up in landfill.
People can simply place their empty bottles and cans in a bin basket instead of throwing them away, making them available for someone else to collect and redeem for a refund. Whether it’s a young person saving for something special or a local community group raising funds, this small gesture can make a real difference. It’s a simple way to reduce waste, keep our public spaces cleaner, and support others in the community.”