At Vikings Cycling Club, event organiser Jon Lowe was already carting away cans for recycling after the club’s weekly races when the ACT Container Deposit Scheme launched.
As well as other events and regular rides, the club hold Thursday night races, meeting at Stromlo Forest Park. Each competitor receives a can of drink with their entry, and it’s up to the club to ensure all rubbish is removed after each event.
“It seemed easy to just put the cans aside and drop them off at a return point in a batch every six months,” Jon said.
“We just put out a box each week, and the empties from the race go into it. We have a few people who supply a few containers on the side, and some of my work colleagues also bring me their empties each week.”
Jon added that he decided it was best to donate the money raised through the 10c refunds to Hartley Lifecare. “It didn’t feel right to keep the money myself, and there would be paperwork to funnel it back through the club’s books, so I decided it should go to charity,” Jon said.
Hartley Lifecare provides supported accommodation for people living with disabilities, their families and carers. The not-for-profit runs an annual cycling challenge as one of its major fundraisers.
“Many of our riders have ridden the Hartley Challenge in the past, and it feels nice to able to continue to help, even just a small amount,” Jon said.
With riders of all ages and abilities welcome at the Vikings Club, it’s a great way to show that everyone can make a difference and every little bit helps.
The ACT CDS is a partnership between the ACT Government, scheme coordinator Exchange for Change and network operator Return-It.
