Return and Earn Was Meant to Reduce Waste—Now It’s a Sign of Household Recession

When the NSW Liberal Government introduced the Return and Earn scheme in 2017, the goal was simple: reduce waste and encourage recycling. It was supposed to be an environmental initiative, a small incentive to keep streets clean—not a program people depend on to make ends meet. Yet here we are in 2025, and Labor is gloating about record numbers of cans and bottles being returned. They’re calling it a “huge success.” But let’s ask the obvious question: why are so many people relying on this scheme now? It’s not because Australians have suddenly become die-hard environmentalists. It’s because they can’t afford to...