However, that could be coming to an end soon with an Environment Protection Agency (EPA) spokesperson saying TOMRA Cleanaway is ‘close’ to confirming a suitable location and that further information will be provided to the community shortly.

They were unable to give an exact date on when that information would be made available. 

“There have been challenges finding a location in a suitable area that meets the specific requirements such as a power source and ease of access for the community.”

A location at Byron Place near Woolworths was initially highlighted as a suitable location, but was rejected by council due to a decrease in car parks by six to eight spots.

The closest collection points for Mudgee residents are Rylstone, Kandos and Wellington all of which are two-hour round trips.

Towns of similar size to Mudgee such as Young have two reverse vending machines, while Lithgow and Parkes each have one. 

Dubbo and Orange also have two machines, while three have been installed in Bathurst since the start of the scheme. 

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The state-wide container deposit scheme started on December 1 with a 15 cent increase on eligible containers and residents able to claim a 10 cent rebate per item they returned.

Member for the Dubbo Electorate Troy Grant has previously expressed his dissatisfaction towards the ongoing situation, saying Mudgee has been hard done by.

“I’m bitterly disappointed in the rollout of the container deposit scheme. I’ve made that clear.”

“The scheme itself is being embraced by the community, it’s just the way it has been rolled out certainly could have been better.

In February Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton stopped responding to questions about the scheme, but she had encouraged residents to hold onto their containers until an access point was made available.