The NSW Government initiative was launched late last year and offers people the chance to receive a 10 cent refund for a range of acceptable glass, aluminum and plastic bottles.

Since then, a whopping 30,964,848 items have been returned.

The region’s first machine was installed in Dubbo and that city has gone on to claim the top spot for recycling with 8,068,197 items returned to the city’s two collection points.

Second on the list for the most returned items was Bathurst, and while the city might have four separate collection points, almost three million less items were returned when compared to Dubbo.

Since the first machine was installed on December 23, a staggering 5,712,647 items have been funneled back into the city’s three reverse vending machines and one automated bulk collection point.

Orange came in third for the most items fed in through that city’s two collection points, with 3,962,143 individual items.

Meanwhile the three collection points at Young accepted 3,660,305 items, followed by Cowra (2,994,287), Parkes (2,279,734), Lithgow (2,201,648) and Wellington (2,085,887).

The Return and Earn initiative not only benefits the environment but also the community, with charities and groups able to sign up to the scheme so that people can choose to donate their refund rather than claim it for themselves.

Among those to sign up is Carenne School in Bathurst which is an option on the reverse vending machine located at Service NSW in Bathurst 

School teacher Adam Ryan said it was a great fundraising opportunity.

“The idea was to ask the student representative council to decide where the funds would be spent,” he said.

“They’re thinking they’ll upgrade the push bike facilities or get tools so students themselves can do a bit of maintenance.”

In Bathurst, other donations partners are Housing Plus at the All Crushed, and Veritas House Incorporated at the Community Op Shop site.

Donations partners will remain until late August.

A NSW Environment Protection Authority spokeswoman said donation partnerships were available for three-month periods.

“Return and Earn provides a unique opportunity for local groups to fundraise through a reverse vending machine,” she said.

To find out more about donation partnerships visit www.returnandearn.org.au.