More than 8.8 million bottles and cans have been collected at reverse vending machines at Port Macquarie and Lake Cathie.

The Woolworths Port Macquarie reverse vending machine leads the popularity stakes with more than four million containers deposited there.

That is followed by reverse vending machines at Growers Market Port Macquarie (1.9 million), Lake Innes Village (1.6 million) and Woolworths Lake Cathie (1.3 million).

The state government introduced the container deposit scheme as a litter reduction measure.

Most drink containers between 150 millilitres and three litres in volume, with some exceptions, are eligible for a 10 cent refund.

Hat Head resident Ken Powell said the reverse vending machines were easy to use.

“You get rid of the rubbish from your own place and they [reverse vending machines] are not hard to operate so there is no downside,” he said.

Mr Powell generally uses the reverse vending machines at Kempsey and Port Macquarie.

Litter volume across the state has dropped across all categories but the largest reduction is from eligible drink containers which represent an all-time low of 37 per cent of the NSW litter volume stream.

Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams said more than one billion containers had been collected through the Return and Earn scheme in NSW.

“This is a huge achievement for NSW and congratulations to everyone who has contributed to the scheme,” she said.

“Return and Earn has been an outstanding success and changed the way people dispose of empty drink containers.

“Locally more than 8.8 million containers have been returned at the four local RVMs [in Port Macquarie and Lake Cathie].

“We are now recycling more drink containers that are being thrown away which is a fantastic result.”

When people choose to donate their 10 cents per container, instead of collecting the money at the reverse vending machines, they can now support four local organisations.

They are Camden Haven Surf Club (RVM Woolworths Lake Cathie), Panthers Port Macquarie Soccer Club (RVM Growers Market Port Macquarie), Omnicare Alliance (RVM Coles Lake Innes) and Port Macquarie Lions Club (RVM Woolworths Port Macquarie).

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