The head of the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment’s Container Deposit Scheme branch, Sanjay Sridher, congratulated Alex who won for his outstanding efforts fundraising for international children’s charities through Return and Earn, the NSW container deposit scheme.
“I congratulate Alex on his work with his local community to promote recycling, and on supporting some of the world’s most vulnerable children,” Mr Sridher said.
“This is a great example of how Return and Earn has been embraced by people to not only help clean-up our environment but also to help others.”
Alex begin collecting and returning cans when he was in primary school, to raise money for a Vietnamese orphanage. Later he directed funds to World Vision and Save the Children.
Alex’s longest running association is with the cleaners at Auburn Hospital, who have supported his efforts since he started recycling, ensuring that all eligible drink containers from the hospital are collected.
When Return and Earn was launched in December 2017, it allowed Alex to expand his operation to include bottles as well as cans.
For more info, visit returnandearn.org.au.
Return, earn champion takes Individual award
STARTING his recycling journey 13 years ago at age six, Auburn resident Alexander Roberts has now won the Return and Earn Litter Prevention Award for Individuals at the prestigious Keep Australia Beautiful NSW 2019 Sustainable Cities Awards.