Melbourne nightclub irked as council workers captured removing 10¢ bottles from bins

18 hours ago 3

Council workers have irked a Melbourne nightclub by removing bottles and cans eligible for 10¢ refunds from their bins.

CCTV footage captured last year shows two men in high-vis vests collecting items from skips in Geddes Lane – behind King Street nightclub Inflation – and stashing them in a City of Melbourne truck.

Inflation owner Martha Tsamis said the popularity of Victoria’s container deposit scheme meant people often went through the venue’s recycling for empty drinks containers, which her business set aside to claim refunds for.

“We take time with staff to separate the bottles from rubbish, only to find that council workers are stealing from us, while being paid by the council and using a council vehicle,” she said.

“It’s hard enough working in the hospitality industry at the moment, but this is just disgraceful.”

The City of Melbourne confirmed the workers captured on video were supposed to remove illegally dumped waste only, not private bins that Inflation paid another contractor to collect and recycle for a small refund.

Padlocked skips for refundable bottles and cans in a Melbourne CBD laneway.

“Any allegation of misconduct by staff or contractors is taken seriously – and will be investigated,” a council spokesman said.

Bin fossicking for refundable bottles and cans – in addition to picking up containers off the street – has provided some Victorians with a small but valuable income boost since the container deposit scheme launched in 2023.

Sayo Leahy, a prolific can collector, told this masthead in February that rifling through residential bins in Melbourne’s north had given her a lifeline as she struggled to maintain employment due to mental health struggles.

She also separated refundable containers from non-recyclables that often contaminated residential bins.

“At the end of the day, if you’re going through a bin you are probably struggling,” Leahy said when asked about the practice on Saturday. “And you’ve got to remember that.”

Tsamis said she had no issue with other instances of bin fossicking. She was instead concerned about unauthorised council employees combing through her commercial skips, which were already sorted and slated for another operator to pick up and refund.

Those who manage Victoria’s container deposit scheme also do not support bin fossicking without permission.

“The rules around bin fossicking vary between [local government areas], and it is not a practice we encourage,” said Marianne Doyle, the interim chief executive of VicReturn.

“In some LGAs, removing recyclables that have been placed out for collection may attract fines.”

Doyle encouraged individual collectors to speak with local businesses and work together to recycle.

“Many CDS [container deposit scheme] collectors have arrangements in place with venues, clubs or businesses to collect their eligible containers to return them for the 10¢ refund,” she said.

“Securing bins is a practical option for organisations wanting to prevent eligible drink containers being taken without permission.”

Doyle said the container deposit scheme was working with councils, including the City of Melbourne, to install new container baskets on the outside of bins.

“These are designed to give people a safe and appropriate way to leave empty eligible containers for others to collect, without the need to fossick through public bins,” she said.