Latest news with #DamianGordon
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Man purchases 2-bedroom house after recycling nearly half a million cans in reverse vending machines — here's how he did it
Man purchases 2-bedroom house after recycling nearly half a million cans in reverse vending machines — here's how he did it Recycling cans and bottles in exchange for cash might be the most widely known example of a circular economy in action — and one motivated Australian man leveraged a local initiative to accumulate a down payment on a house. 36-year-old Damian Gordon said he was "casually aware" of a regional "Return and Earn" program in New South Wales, which offered ten cents for every can collected and returned to a designated exchange point. "Reverse vending machines" accept empty cans, glass bottles, and plastic containers, and they're one of the ways the Return and Earn program allows residents to turn trash into cash. Gordon spoke about his long-term bottle and can collection project, explaining that a down payment on a home wasn't his initial motivator. At first, he wanted to blow off steam after long days in the "health industry." Gordon began taking walks on the beach to unwind and found it "impossible to ignore all the rubbish … scattered across the shoreline." "Returning to the beach as often as I could, I made it my mission to collect the rubbish during my walk," he told lifestyle weekly That's Life. It wasn't long before he "started noticing how many containers were left behind at events and parks." That inspired Gordon to visit music festivals, as "crowds left mountains of empties behind." It's no secret Australia is facing complex housing woes, with more than a third of houses in the country priced at over $1 million or more. Gordon wasn't thinking about a steep property ladder when he began collecting and returning cans, first cultivating a "small habit" of putting aside eligible cans and glass bottles due to what he witnessed on his nightly beach walks. After a festival in 2017, Gordon and other volunteers separated 40,000 recyclable containers from other refuse. He "was amazed to walk away with a whopping $4,000" after just one event, and the single-day take gave him a "wild idea." "I'm going to recycle my way to a house deposit," Gordon told his mother. New South Wales' Return and Earn program was introduced in 2017, and within three years, he'd saved $20,000. January marked seven years of Gordon's recycling efforts. By that point, he'd netted $45,000, which he combined with other savings for a deposit on a 2-bedroom house. Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely Only in some areas Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Gordon's money-saving approach to securing a down payment was shockingly successful, and he took an eco-friendly approach to homeownership. After spending years face-to-face with mountains of refuse during his recycling efforts, he furnished his new place with "treasures" he found at the curb, "including a fridge, microwave, juicer, and a bed frame." The thing about habits — good or bad — is that they can be difficult to break, and Gordon's reverse vending machine routine hasn't gone anywhere. "With mortgage repayments coming hard and fast, I don't plan to stop collecting any time soon," Gordon said. "Now I'm paying off my dream home, one bottle at a time." Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Solve the daily Crossword
Extra.ie
28-05-2025
- Business
- Extra.ie
Recycling paid off: Man buys his dream home with bottle return cash
The Deposit Return Scheme can be a bit of a nuisance, but what if we told you it was possible to buy a home out of your earnings? Damian Gordon, 36, from New South Wales, Australia was able his two-bedroom house after seven years of saving his money earning from a similar initiative in Australia. The new homeowner began to take recycling seriously when he noticed so much rubbish on the beach during his walks. The Deposit Return Scheme can be a bit of a nuisance, but what if I told you it was possible to buy a house out of your earnings? Pic: Sam Boal/ Sharing his story on That's Life, he admitted he found it 'impossible to ignore' and was spurred on my the Return and Earn scheme in his area. The scheme paid out 10c for every can returned, as well as glass bottles and plastic containers. Damian recalled how he made it his mission to collect rubbish during his walks and then had the idea of going to festival grounds after the events to collect empties. Damian recalled how he made it his mission to collect rubbish during his walks and then had the idea of going to festival grounds after the events to collect empties. Pic: Shutterstock One 2017 festival saw Damian and other volunteers collecting 40,000 recyclable containers, resulting is an earning of $4,000 (€2,273). Realising he was making money from the scheme, Damian sought out to use the earnings for a house deposite and managed to save $20,000 (€11,369) within the first three years. Damian revealed the sum of earnings 'spurred' him on to continue with his endeavour. Damian has since bought his very own house with the savings from recycling along with a little bit extra. Pic: Shutterstock Last January marked seven years since Damian began his savings fund, earning $45,000 (€25,000) from it. Damian has since bought his very own house with the savings from recycling along with a little bit extra. He has been able to find other treasures out and about for his home such as a fridge, microwave and a juicer. The new homeowner has confirmed he doesn't plan on stopping collecting containers any time soon, noting mortgage repayments are 'coming hard and fast.' He told the publication he is now 'paying off my dream home, one bottle at a time.'
Irish Daily Mirror
26-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Irish Daily Mirror
Australian man buys two-bedroom home with money from local bottle return scheme
An Australian man managed to purchase a two-bedroom house using the money he got from a bottle return scheme. Damian Gordon, a 36-year-old living in New South Wales, Australia, shared that when he would take long walks on the beach, he would come across tonnes of rubbish lying everywhere. He found it 'impossible to ignore all the rubbish' that was 'scattered across the shoreline' and that he was 'casually aware' of the area's Return and Earn scheme, RSVP Live reports. It offered ten cents for every can collected and returned, with glass bottles and plastic containers also accepted. He told That's Life: 'Returning to the beach as often as I could, I made it my mission to collect the rubbish during my walk.' Damian would visit the ground of music festivals as 'crowds left mountains of empties behind'. Along with other volunteers, Damian separated 40,000 recyclable containers from other rubbish following a 2017 festival. He admitted that he was 'amazed to walk away with a whopping $4,000' after one event. It gave him the idea to start collecting enough recyclable containers for a house deposit. Within three years Damian had saved $20,000. January 2024 was the seven-year anniversary of Damian's recycling collections, with him earning $45,000 from it. Along with some other savings, he managed to gather enough for a deposit for a two-bedroom home. He took his recycling efforts one step further and found 'treasures' from curbs to furnish him home. This included a microwave, fridge, a bed frame and even a juicer. Damian added: 'With mortgage repayments coming hard and fast, I don't plan to stop collecting any time soon. Now I'm paying off my dream home, one bottle at a time.'
