Rick Daniells Bottle Depot manager Peter Daniells said the business now had more customers, double the average of 50 vehicles per day when the refund was 5 cents.

Statewide, people who collect and recycle drink containers returned 592.5 million containers and got more than $59.25 million in refunds between September 1, 2008 and August 31, this year.

This is $33.5 million more in refunds than the previous year.

The other bottle depots on Eyre Peninsula at Cummins, Minnipa, Arno Bay, Port Neill, Cleve, Cowell and Tumby Bay all have to bring their recycled containers to Port Lincoln for processing once every two weeks now compared with once a month before the refund increase.

Mr Daniells said the local flow on benefits included making three employees permanent, and another four employed casually.

The Statewide total number of containers returned in the first full year of the 10 cent refund was 76.8 million more containers than returned in 2007/08.