A lack of collection points for New South Wales' container deposit recycling scheme means consumers are $110 million worse off after just three months of the bottle and can buy-back, the State Opposition has said.

Many retailers around the state put up the price of drinks in cans and cartons when the scheme began in December.

Because of that, consumers have been slugged $110 million in the three months since, the Opposition said.

"The lack of collection points for the container deposit scheme means consumers are paying a lot more money but they're getting very little of it back," shadow environment minister Penny Sharpe said.

"The whole scheme is predicated on the basis that you buy a can or a bottle and you get your 10 cents back.

Container recycling machines have been placed around Sydney. ( ABC News )

"But because of the lack of collection points consumers just aren't getting that."

Ms Sharpe claimed only $8.3 million has been returned to individuals from bottle refunds.

Labor said the NSW Government promised there would be 500 collection points but there are only about 400 across the state.

The NSW Government said more collection points would be installed this year.

"We have over 400 collection points, 110 reverse vending machines and there are more locations that are going to be coming soon," New South Wales Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton said.

"People have many opportunities to return their containers and get their deposit back."

Members of the public have told the ABC they are stockpiling their bottles until they have enough to justify a trip to the collection point.

"A boot full of 1.25 litre soda bottles earned me $12, it took 30 minutes for the round trip to the bin and back, not a good use of time," one person said.

Another said it was an effort to get rid of the bottles but a good job for children's pocket money.

Scheme logistically difficult, Nationals say

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian acknowledged the scheme needed to be improved.

"This program had major teething problems," she said.

"I'm not going to pretend that we had a smooth introduction to the scheme, that would be wrong."

Ms Berejiklian said the 87 million containers or cans that had been collected so far was "no small number" and that on some days, there had been more than 2 million items collected.

"We appreciate there's more work to do in terms of collection points and making it more accessible, [but] I'm very pleased with progress compared to where we were just a few months ago."

Nationals leader John Barilaro said the scheme had been made logistically difficult, particularly in regional areas which lack Sydney's density.

"We've got to find the sites. We've got the tyranny of distance. It is difficult for an operator to find a way through the regions," he said.

Mr Barilaro said there were still problems to overcome, such as plastic bottles being located in waterways, but "we're getting there", he said.