Recycling message in bottles

Brighton Beach Primary School students Anastasia Diamantara (front) and Izaiah Tuma (back) at the Message in a Bottle installation at Scienceworks. (supplied) 442379_01

To mark the first anniversary of Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme (CDS Vic) and coinciding with National Recycling Week, a new interactive installation has opened at Scienceworks.

The ‘Message in a Bottle’ installation was launched at the Spotswood museum last week and demonstrates the recycling journey of a plastic bottle.

In keeping with the name, messages written by primary school students about what recycling means to them have been placed inside the plastic bottles used to create the installation aimed at highlighting the importance of recycling and how it shapes the planet.

The installation was officially opened Friday, November 1, which was also the first birthday of CDS Vic.

The scheme which allows Victorians to return eligible drink containers for a 10-cent refund at over 640 return points across the state, has recycled one billion drink containers since it started on November 1, 2023, generating $100 billion.

Chief executive of scheme co-ordinator VicReturn, Jim Round, said the CDS was just getting started.

“The journey doesn’t stop here,” Mr Round said.

“We are committed to seeing the scheme go from strength to strength over the next 12 months and the years ahead.”

Mr Round said the CDS’s community fundraising outreach was a key part of this.

Those wanting to visit the Message in a Bottle installation to learn about recycling, can then put that knowledge into practice by bringing their empty drink containers and depositing them at the CDS Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) located in the Scienceworks carpark.

The interactive installation is on display until January 27 next year.

Cade Lucas