Media release issued by City of Stirling:
Well-known social enterprise and disability employer Good Sammy is acquiring the City of Stirling’s Containers for Change recycling and logistics business at 257 Balcatta Road – the largest by volume and one of the best sites in Western Australia.
Good Sammy is one of WA’s largest Containers for Change program partners, operating more than 20 refund points across the Perth metro area. The scheme – which encourages people to recycle drink containers and receive a 10-cent refund – has enabled Good Sammy to employ more people of all abilities, with more than half of the Good Sammy workforce being made up of people with disability.
Mayor Mark Irwin said under the agreement, the City’s drive-through Containers for Change Refund Centre at 257 Balcatta Road will transfer to Good Sammy management through July and August.
“Good Sammy is undeniably a leader in delivering Containers for Change services in WA, and the fact that they are also achieving exceptional outcomes in creating inclusive workplaces just shows the success of their approach,” he said.
“The City was keen to support this State Government initiative when it first launched, but now that the facility is in such a strong position processing the highest volume of containers in the state, it is the right time for the City to step out of a scheme which is better suited to be managed by thea social enterprise.
“Good Sammy will also acquire the City’s container logistics operation, which collects and processes containers for more than 400 community and commercial clients within the City. Over the next few months, we will partner closely with Good Sammy and alongside our employees on redeployment or re-employment to ensure a seamless service for our customers.”
Good Sammy Chief Executive Officer Kane Blackman paid tribute to City of Stirling for setting up a significant Containers for Change business.
“The City of Stirling is one of the largest local government areas in Western Australia with a population of 223,000 spread over a 105km2 area. We are excited to service this area and ensure millions of containers are recycled and saved from landfill every year,” he said.
“Good Sammy already operates two drive-through refund points at Wanneroo and Canning Vale, so the acquisition of the Balcatta drive-through site will provide us with a new and convenient service offering for residents in Perth’s central suburbs to recycle their 10-cent drink containers and support disability employment in the process.
“If you are a person with a disability within the area and/or have a keen interest in recycling, we encourage you to reach out to Good Sammy to discuss joining the team.”
Tim Cusack, Chief Executive Officer of WA Return Recycle Renew – Scheme Coordinator for Containers for Change – said he supported the transfer of the refund point to Good Sammy and thanked the City of Stirling for their contribution to Containers for Change.
“The City of Stirling has done a great job establishing their highly successful refund point at 257 Balcatta Road. We are in support of its transition to new ownership to Good Sammy,” he said.
“Creating social enterprise and job opportunities is intrinsic to Containers for Change and Good Sammy is an industry leader in this endeavour. We will continue to support City of Stirling and Good Sammy throughout the transition process.”
