Melton is home to Melbourne’s second-best performing container deposit scheme site, with residents returning 14.7 million cans, glass bottles, and plastic bottles in just over six months.
But did you know it is operated by a completely First Nations staff?
KARI, an Indigenous not-for-profit organisation, runs the Melton CDS Depot in partnership with Clean Vibes, a sustainable event waste management company.
A mix of 14 permanent and casual Indigenous employees work here.
KARI chief commercial officer Cain Slater said the operation, which began in the last six months, presented a great opportunity for the organisation to be self-sustainable.
“For us, it’s [about] not being reliant on government money, so we wanted to make sure that we had the ability to do something and be able to reinvest back into the local community,” he said.
“To get involved in CDS is something that felt really right for the organisation.”
Mr Slater said the initiative was a way for KARI to establish a presence in Victoria.
“We are quite large in New South Wales and growing in Queensland, and we’re looking to expand into Victoria and support First Nations communities there,” he said.
“In the next six months and onwards we’re looking to start introducing a lot of our community programs and connecting with local community groups to make sure that the stuff that we do in New South Wales and Queensland can be replicated and supported down there.”
Acquiring the contract for the depot has opened the door to collaboration with other local institutions.
“We’re having some initial conversations with council about how we can do more together in the area,” Mr Slater said.
Eddie Russell
