Find out which drink containers can be returned for a 10¢ refund in Victoria
YES
What you can return:
- Size Matters
Must be between 150mL and 3 litres - Material Check
Made from:
Aluminium
Glass
Plastic
Steel
Liquid paperboard (like juice poppers or cartons) - It’s Gotta Be a Drink!
Must have been a beverage container – think: soft drinks, water, beer, juice, etc.
Examples of Eligible Containers:
-
Soft drink cans and bottles
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Water bottles
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Sports & energy drinks
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Fruit juice poppers (under 1L)
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Beer bottles and cans
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Ready-to-drink coffee or alcohol mixers
-
Flavoured milk (under 1L only!)
📱 Hot Tip: Not sure? Use the CDS Vic app to scan the barcode and find out in seconds!
NO
Here's What Doesn't Make the Cut:
- Milk Bottles
Plain milk containers are out, even those big 2L ones in your fridge.
And yes, flavoured milk over 1 litre is also a no-go (but smaller ones under 1L are accepted!). - Concentrates & Cordials
- Wine & Spirits Bottles
- Super-Sized Juices
-
Juice containers over 1 litre don’t count—only smaller, single-serve ones do.
- Health Drinks & Tonics
-
Some vitamin waters, health tonics, and meal replacement drinks are out of scope too. Check the label for these ones!
- No food cans or jars
Still have questions?
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If it’s between 150ml and 3 litres and made of aluminium, glass, plastic, or carton — you’re probably good to go! Think soft drink cans, water bottles, juice cartons, iced coffee bottles, beer stubbies… you get the idea.
-
Yes, some drink containers will not be eligible for return even if they have a 10c refund mark. The following are currently excluded from the Victorian scheme:
- Containers smaller than 150ml (e.g. Yakult).
- Containers larger than 3 litres.
- Milk (over 1L)
- Wine and spirit bottles
- Juice in containers over 1L
- Some cordial bottles (due to certain plastics used).
- Health tonics
- Any container not properly labelled or damaged beyond recognition
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Look for the “10c refund” mark - usually near the barcode.
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Use the CDS Vic East App: tap “Eligibility” and scan or type in the barcode.
-
Search the CDS Vic Product Registry online to confirm
- Empty completely — no leftover liquids or rubbish inside
- Keep containers whole — broken or partial ones aren’t accepted.
- Don’t crush them — machines need to read the shape.
- Leave lids on — they’ll be recycled too.
- Labels can stay — they’re also recyclable.
You do not need to presort your containers based on materials. Our machines will do this for you.
Following these steps helps machines scan and process containers faster, reduces contamination, and ensures your container is counted for a refund. Poorly prepared containers may be rejected.
Think: Right Size, Right Shape, Ready to Scan
- Size: 150ml to 3 litres.
- Shape: Whole, not crushed.
- Ready: Empty and eligible