Cr Cox was disappointed with the minister's statement that a scheme in which Victorians would receive 10 cents for each recycled can would jeopardise the state's thriving kerbside recycling industry.

The idea was all but ruled out.

Cr Cox said there was ample evidence from interstate that encouraging residents to get cash-back for their used containers was the right way to go.

"I grew up with a deposit scheme and as a consequence you just didn't see the litter around that you do today," Cr Cox said.

"I found it pretty amazing that the minister could come to the conclusion that she did."

In an interview last week, Ms Neville all but ruled out a cash-for-containers scheme for Victoria, already in operation in South Australia and the Northern Territory.

New South Wales and the ACT are also planning to roll out the scheme.

Ms Neville cited a COAG study that showed a national scheme could cost between $3.8 billion and $4.5 billion over 20 years and hit consumers hard.

She said ratepayers would end up paying more for their recycling, and Victoria's beverage recycling rate of 81 per cent was higher than the national average, including South Australia.

But Cr Cox said the decision not to pursue the 10 cent return for consumers was "very short-sighted" and the cost of kerbside collection was modest for the City of Greater Bendigo.

"You only have to look at the highways going out of Bendigo to see the amount of litter around," he said.

"Ten cents for each container would be very good encouragement to hang onto those containers.

"In South Australia, you also see a lot of people who make a living out of collecting cans and recycling them."

The recovery and sales yard could easily be converted to allow residents to deposit their cans for reimbursement, Cr Cox said.

"Imagine how nice it would be to see just a monthly recycling pick-up in Bendigo, rather than fortnightly," he said.