The Glen Orden Cricket Club have reached a major recycling milestone, collecting 10,000 containers in the last 12 months.
Taking advantage of Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme (CDS), the club has raised over $1000 which it used on equipment such as scoreboards, umpire counters, bowling markers, training cones and fielding bats.
After becoming acquainted with the program, a call out was put to the club’s networks on social media and the troops were rallied.
Glen Orden’s seven senior and three junior sides got work, initially with the captains and coaches filling up bags after games and training sessions.
Club admin Vimal Chatrati discussed what drove Glen Orden to start the drive.
“The very idea that there is so much garbage and wastage of these containers which is going to waste and impact the environment around our grounds,” he said.
“We wanted a proper system in place where we can promote proper usage and disposal of these containers and if possible anything in return would be used for the right causes.”
The kids took a special interest in the drive, turning in their personal collections to parents and coaches alike.
Some of the kids even tagged along to deposit the containers one by one at the local TOMRA Cleanaway reverse vending machines.
As the operation got bigger, help in the form of the local Recycle4Change depot in Point Cook, who now come and collect the bulk of containers when the club’s bins are full or there is too much to carry for any one person.
Mr Chatrati encourages other clubs to follow suit for the sake of creating a cleaner community and putting money back in the pockets of local clubs.
Jaidyn Kennedy
