Meet the man who turned 500,000 empty bottles into a house

Motivated by the potential to make a difference to his community but also to earn some extra cash on the side, Gordon soon intensified his efforts. He expanded his collection beyond beaches to parks and music festivals, where he noticed 'crowds left mountains of empties behind.' After one particular festival in 2017, he and other volunteers collected an incredible 40,000 recyclable containers, earning him personally a staggering $4,000. 'I was amazed to walk away with a whopping $4,000,' he said. This success sparked a bold idea: 'I'm going to recycle my way to a house deposit,' he told his mother (Picture: YouTube/The Project - Network 10)

Over the course of the next seven years, the bottle-collecting Australian dedicated himself to his new goal. By consistently collecting and returning containers, he amassed approximately $46,000 through the Return and Earn program. He strategically saved this money in a separate bank account, noting: 'The most important thing was I had a bank account, where I couldn't see the balance.' This wily and disciplined approach allowed him to accumulate a substantial sum without the temptation to dip into it and spend it prematurely (Picture: Getty Images)

In early 2024, Gordon's efforts culminated in the purchase of a two bedroom home on the Central Coast of New South Wales. 'I was very lucky, I bought a place on the Central Coast, at auction,' he said. 'It's a two-bedroom little old fishing shack but I'm so blessed to have a roof over my head.' His story is quite a positive one, serving as something of a reminder as to how small - but consistent - actions can lead to significant achievements. Even in the face of a challenging and oftentimes quite demoralising housing market (Picture: YouTube/The Project - Network 10)

NSW's progressive and ambitious Return and Earn program has been instrumental in promoting recycling in the state. As well as supporting community initiatives. Since its launch, the scheme says it has facilitated the recycling of billions drink containers, which has resulted in substantial environmental benefits such as saving enough energy to power 136,864 homes for a year (Picture: YouTube/The Project - Network 10)

And it's helped reduce CO₂ emissions equivalent to removing 582,215 cars from the road annually. Not only that but, over $72 million has been raised for charities and community groups through donations and return point hosting fees. Damian's story highlights the broader impact of programs like Return and Earn. It shows how individual actions, when supported by effective and well-run public initiatives, can lead not only to communal benefits, but to personal ones as well (Picture: Getty Images)