How much are aluminium cans worth in Victoria

Sell Scrap Cans in Melbourne

Can I sell scrap cans for profit?

A common misconception is that scrap metal must come in the form of large machinery in order to be valuable. This is not true! You can sell all kinds of metal for profit to scrap metal buyers. That includes small everyday items that are easily collectible – like scrap soft drink cans.

Which other common household items can I sell?

Aluminium can be found in many other common household items. These items can all be sold for a surprisingly rewarding profit to scrap metal buyers. Besides cans, the following items all contain aluminium:

• Food containers and cooking utensils
• Aerosol packaging (including deodorant and air freshener cans)
• Gaming consoles and tablets
• Bicycle frames
• Various car parts (including wheels and engines).

What are the prices for scrap cans in Melbourne?

The price for scrap cans changes constantly due to market supply and demand, and hence, it is difficult to provide exact numbers. However, if you’d like to know how to maximise the value of your scrap cans, we recommend collecting them over time so that their combined weight is as high as possible. Since scrap metal is bought in kilograms, accumulating it rather than selling it immediately is therefore the most profitable way to sell scrap cans.

Where can I sell scrap cans near me?

Metal Men Recycling is the best place to sell your scrap metal. We buy both ferrous and non-ferrous metals at rates that are most competitive according to the current market. We offer free collection bins for you to store on your site and collect all your scrap metal in one place. Once your bin is full, simply give us a call for our 24-hour collection service and we will pick up and price your metal.

Give us a call on 03 5941 6677 to learn more about how you can sell your scrap cans and other metal waste today.

On this page:

• A new and easy way to recycle drink containers is coming to Victoria
• The CDS is a rewarding way for Victorians to support their community and care for the environment
• Victorians have helped shape our CDS
• Frequently asked questions

A new and easy way to recycle drink containers is coming to Victoria

The container deposit scheme (CDS) will reward Victorians with a 10-cent refund for every eligible can, carton and bottle they return.

It is part of important work that is transforming Victoria’s waste and recycling system.

The scheme will provide shared benefits to the community, environment and economy by delivering:

• more and better recycling
• less waste - old containers become new ones
• less litter - cut by up to half
• hundreds of new jobs and economic opportunities across Victoria
• a cleaner, greener state.

How it will work

• You purchase a drink
• You return your empty drink container to a refund collection point. With refund collection points across Victoria, you can choose a location that is convenient for you.
• You receive a 10-cent refund for every eligible container you return. You can choose to keep the funds or donate to a participating charity, community group, environmental group, educational organisation or sports group.
• Your returned container is given a new lease on life. The material is recycled and remanufactured into a new product, saving it from landfill or littering the environment.

The CDS will be run by a scheme coordinator and one or more network operator(s). Like all Australian CDSs, beverage suppliers will fund the scheme.

The scheme coordinator will:

• manage the finances and commercial viability of the CDS
• conduct audits of the scheme to prevent fraud
• pay refund amounts and collection network costs to the network operators
• report against performance targets set by the government.

The network operator/s will:

• establish and maintain a network of refund points
• distribute refund amounts to consumers
• distribute payments to refund collection point operators
• report on CDS participation and redemption rates.

The Victorian Government is currently undertaking a competitive tender process to appoint the scheme coordinator and network operators.

The CDS is a rewarding way for Victorians to support their community and care for the environment

The scheme provides charities, community groups, environmental organisations, sports groups and educational organisations with new and easy ways to raise funds. Their options include:

Victorians have helped shape our CDS

We continue to consult with Victorians and businesses to ensure Victorians can enjoy the benefits of the CDS and the scheme will maximise the return of drink containers for recycling.

Read the Consultation Reports

Consumer deposit scheme consultation report- September 2022

pdf 288.31 KB

Consumer deposit scheme consultation report - September 2022 accessible version

docx 217.91 KB

Container deposit scheme consultation report - March 2021

pdf 1.15 MB

Container deposit scheme consultation report - March 2021 accessible version

docx 127.55 KB

More information

Victorias Container deposit scheme factsheet

pdf 585.83 KB

Victorias Container deposit scheme factsheet accessible version

docx 124.18 KB

Frequently asked questions

• A CDS is a win for Victoria’s community, environment and economy.

  The scheme will increase the recycling of drink cans, bottles and cartons and reduce Victoria’s litter by up to half.

  A financial reward for returning drink containers for recycling will help reduce this litter and its impacts on our local wildlife. It will reduce clean-up costs for councils and make producers more responsible for their products once used.

  The CDS will turn waste into value, by providing a clean stream of materials that can be recycled and remanufactured.

  It will complement Victoria’s new household waste collection system by making it recycling easier, even when you’re away from home.

• A 10-cent refund is given for every eligible drink container – cans, cartons, and bottles – returned to a refund collection point.

  The returned containers will be recycled and remanufactured into new products, reducing litter and the need for new materials.

• There will be many convenient and accessible locations across Victoria to return containers.

  Community access and service standards will ensure that you can return your drink containers to a refund collection point that is convenient for you, regardless of where you are in Victoria.

  There will be a variety of ways to return your drink containers, including:

  • reverse vending machines
  • depots
  • over-the-counter collection points, and
  • mobile or ‘pop-up’ refund collection points.

  Network operators will be responsible for managing and maintaining the network of refund collection points.

• All Victorians from:

  • more and better recycling
  • less waste - old containers become new ones
  • less litter - cut by up to half
  • hundreds of new jobs and economic opportunities across Victoria
  • a cleaner, greener state.

  Charity, community, and sports groups will have new ways to fundraise by:

  • collecting containers
  • registering to receive donations of refunds from others
  • initiating a collection drive, and
  • applying to run a refund collection point.

• In November 2020, we asked Victorians to have their say on the scheme’s governance model. The majority of feedback received supported the proposed split responsibility model, which separates managing the scheme between a scheme coordinator and one or more network operators.

  The second consultation, in May 2022, asked Victorians for their input on the proposed Regulations and regulatory impact statement (RIS).

  The proposed regulations support the Circular Economy (Waste Reduction and Recycling) Act 2021 (the Act), by setting out administrative and operational aspects of the scheme. This includes the refund amount and eligible containers. The RIS lays out the regulatory options that were considered in the development of the Regulations. This supports effective consultation by providing Victorians with the detailed economic analysis that underpins the proposed regulations.

  Both of these consultations have helped to shape the CDS to meet the needs and expectations of Victorians.

• Victoria’s CDS will benefit the community, our environment and Victoria’s economy. The CDS will bring new jobs and economic opportunities for disadvantaged people, charity and community groups, and regional Victoria. Social value is a criteria of the competitive process for appointment of the scheme coordinator and network operator/s.

  Are you working with charity and community organisations to develop the scheme?

  Yes. We meet regularly with our Community Organisations Reference Group to ensure the way we set up our CDS means they can take part and benefit from it.

  The reference group is made up of:

  • AFL Victoria
  • Alannah and Madeleine Foundation
  • Assistance Dogs Australia
  • Beach Patrol
  • Bowls Victoria
  • Charitable Recycling Australia (FKA NACRO)
  • Clean Up Australia
  • Foodbank
  • Football Victoria
  • Golf Australia - Victorian Office
  • Life Saving Victoria
  • Netball Victoria
  • Outlook
  • OzHarvest
  • Scouts Victoria
  • St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria
  • The Salvation Army
  • Vicsport
  • Wellways
  • YMCA Victoria.

• Yes. We meet regularly with our Community Organisations Reference Group to ensure the way we set up our CDS means they can take part and benefit from it.

  The reference group is made up of:

  • AFL Victoria
  • Alannah and Madeleine Foundation
  • Assistance Dogs Australia
  • Beach Patrol
  • Bowls Victoria
  • Charitable Recycling Australia (FKA NACRO)
  • Clean Up Australia
  • Foodbank
  • Football Victoria
  • Golf Australia - Victorian Office
  • Life Saving Victoria
  • Netball Victoria
  • Outlook
  • OzHarvest
  • Scouts Victoria
  • St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria
  • The Salvation Army
  • Vicsport
  • Wellways
  • YMCA Victoria.

• Yes, other states have implemented or plan to implement, a CDS. There are similarities and differences in how each CDS operates, which is summarised in the table below.

  Some aspects are consistent across Australia, this helps to reduce confusion for consumers and businesses.

  Victoria will develop a scheme that is the best fit for the needs of Victorians.

  State and start date of CDS	Containers returned	Number and types of places to return containers	Return points run by charity, community and sports groups
  South Australia - 1977	77%	126 (1 per 14,040 people): 100% waste management depots	15
  New South Wales - Dec 2017	68%	630 (1 per 12,959 people): 49% reverse vending machines, 43% over the counter at shops, 4% depots, 4% donation stations	145
  Queensland - Nov 2018	60%	307 (1 per 16,835 people): 43% depots, 39% bag drop-offs, 22% pop-up points, 5% reverse vending machines	19
  Western Australia - Oct 2020	Not applicable	214 (1 per 12,439 people): 43% depots, 30% bag drop-offs, 25% Pop-ups points, 2% reverse vending machines	78
  Tasmania - starting 2022
  Victoria - starting 2023

• Charities and not-for-profit organisations stand to gain from all CDS including ours. We are working with community groups and charities as we design our CDS to make sure all Victorian charities and community groups can take part and benefit from the scheme.

  Some of the ways they will be able to do this are by:

  • collecting containers for refunds
  • running container collection drives
  • receiving donations – people will be able to donate their refunds to a donation partner
  • running a refund collection point as a business.

  Since 2017, charities and community groups in NSW, which have the split responsibilities design that Victoria’s CDS will have, have received more than $18 million through donations and the operation of refund collection points. We expect to see similar opportunities from the Victorian CDS.

• Having an accessible and convenient network of collection points is central to the design of Victoria’s CDS. This enables participation in the scheme and maximises the return of containers for the benefit of Victoria’s community, economy and environment.

  To support this, network operators will be paid for every container they collect. This will create a direct market incentive to provide a network of refund collection points that meet the needs of the Victorian community.

• The scheme will be run by a scheme coordinator and network operator/s, and like all Australian schemes, beverage suppliers will fund it.

• Opportunities for organisations to participate in the scheme will include:

  • operating a collection point
  • becoming a donation partner
  • organising a collection drive

  More information will be available after the appointment of the scheme coordinator and network operator(s).

  Join the CDS mailing list to stay up to date on upcoming opportunities to participate in the scheme.

• Collection point operators may include small businesses, community organisations, charities, sports clubs and councils throughout Victoria. Network Operators will be responsible for sub-contracting to collection point operators.

• The Victorian Government will provide the scheme coordinator with a loan to cover the start-up costs. Beverage suppliers will pay costs in arrears.

• The CDS will commence in 2023.

• We are working towards developing and implementing a world-class scheme that Victorians can rely on.

  To do this, we need time to ensure that the CDS will be accessible and convenient to maximise the return of eligible containers.

  This requires us to consult with Victorian including business and industry, make laws, appoint scheme participants, negotiate contracts, establish collection points and allow industry and businesses the necessary time to adapt.

  We’re making sure the CDS interacts effectively with Victoria’s new four stream household waste and recycling system that’s being rolled out across the state.

  Since the announcement of a CDS, the Victorian Government has made significant progress toward the implementation of the scheme. In 2021, the CDS legislation was drafted and has now become an Act.

  The competitive process to appoint a scheme coordinator and network operator/s started in 2021 with expressions of interest, and continues with the current tender process. We expect to announce the appointments to these roles in late 2022.

  Having consulted with Victorians earlier this year, the CDS regulations are expected to be finalised later this year.

  All of this will enable the scheme to commence in 2023.

  You can join our mailing list by emailing . This will keep you updated on the progress of the scheme.

Reviewed 05 October 2022

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