Every Monday morning, the Gerringong Lions Club heads out to collect and recycle Return and Earn containers.

In a few hours the hard work is all over. Thousands of drink containers are recycled for the 10 cent refund and the Lions volunteers head off to enjoy coffee at the local café.

The club is so dedicated to their Monday recycling ritual that they have now recycled two million containers through the local Gerringong Return and Earn machine. 

“We’ve raised $200,000 for our Community Service programs using the Michael Cronin Oval Gerringong machine,” explained club secretary Peter Jeffries.

“We’ve been doing Return Earn since 2018. 

“We recycle on average 7,000 to 10,000 containers a week. We start at 7.30 am, and we’re up at the Blue Goose (cafe) having coffee at 10.30 am.

“We have about 12-13 people turn up and help us every Monday morning with the collection and recycling. We’re there every Monday, rain, hail or public holidays.”

The club has 65 marked bins at collection sites around the South Coast, including shops, pubs, clubs and caravan parks around Berry, Gerringong and Gerroa.

“We get people ringing up saying ‘we’ve had a party on Friday night, can you come around and pick up all the cans’,” Peter said.

“In summer, the Gerringong area is full of tourists at the caravan parks where we have collection bins. Over Christmas and New Year holidays, that accounts for 10 to 15 per cent of our full year’s container turnover.”

Money raised from Return and Earn is used to fund local community service projects and contribute to national Lions Club health and welfare programs.

The club is now looking forward to celebrating their next recycling milestone – three million.

“Return and Earn has become a regular source of income that keeps ticking along.”