Since the start of the year the popular watering hole has been collecting the thousands of bottles and cans which go through the tills, before cashing in at the Return and Earn sites in Forster and Tuncurry.

The project has enabled the hotel to effectively reduce its environmental footprint by nearly 75 per cent.

But, just as importantly, instead of putting the refunds back into its coffers the pub has made a commitment to donate the money to Forster Public School and Lifestyle Solutions.

To date more than $1000 has been collected and donated.

For quite a while management had been concerned at the large numbers of containers being placed in our refuse collection, sometimes up to 10 large garbage bags per night, staff member, Bill Fanning said.

Large recyclable bottles and those eligible for return and earn collectively had been placed in refuse each day, rather than being recycled.

“With the help of the MidCoast Council we now recycle all cartons and large bottles in our thrice weekly collections,” Bill said.

“Since February, staff have been diligently placing eligible containers in bins, which have been returned by a staff member into the return and earn sites at Woolworths and the Tuncurry recycling facility.

“After consideration it was decided to approach Forster Public School, initiating a donation scheme whereby monies collected will be donated on a regular basis to enable the purchase of equipment for the school.

“This decision was taken with the view that, as so many of our current customers have children and/or grand-children at the school, it enabled us to give back to the people something which in effect had been purchased at the establishment.”

Well known staff member Matt Smith has also been returning eligible containers, helping to finance Lifestyle Solutions, which works with young adults with disabilities.

This funding will assist Lifestyle Solutions to fund activities.