An EPA spokeswoman said 4,784,173 containers had been put through the reverse vending machines, putting Wagga in the top third of the state for recycling. The city is almost one million returns ahead of inner-Sydney suburb Granville, which had processed 3,808,433 containers.

For Can Assist fundraiser Bill Lane, the 10-cent refund for each container was a boon for the local charity.

“I’ve been collecting cans and bottles from my mates to raise money for Can Assist,” Mr Lane said.

“I did 849 cans today, so that’s almost $85. I do raffles for Can Assist too.”

The popularity of the machines has led to lengthy delays in Wagga, with people like Mr Lane putting hundreds of cans and bottles through the machines at one time. One woman, who declined to be named for this story, had put about 2500 containers through the machines in one day.

“They need a better way to deal with the bulk,” she said. “There’s too big a queue here on the weekends.”

Mr Lane said he’d been caught out by the bulk recyclers too.

“I went to the one at Gurwood Street and waited 20 minutes behind some people with big garbage bags full and then ‘pop’, the thing was full and wouldn’t take any more,” he said.

“We need more machines or need them emptied more often.”

In addition to the reverse vending machines outside Kooringal and Gurwood Street Woolworths, people can get cash back for their containers over the counter at the Alfredtown service station, Henty supermarket and Junee Supa IGA, or use the “donation station” at the Service NSW building on Fox Street. 

Waste operators Tomra Cleanaway empty the machines twice a day, the EPA spokeswoman said, with electronic notifications when they were almost full. People could also check whether machines were operational by using the myTOMRA app.

More than 240 million containers had been returned across the state since the scheme commenced on December 1.

But for 10-year-old Aidan Makeham of Tarcutta, who said he was saving up to buy a go-cart, the wait was worth it.