About the scheme

What is it?

SCHEME OVERVIEW

Recycle Rewards will provide Tasmanians with a 10-cent refund for each eligible drink container returned to designated refund points around the state, which will significantly reduce litter and increase recycling rates.

Overview

HOW IT WORKS

Once the scheme commences, Tasmanians are encouraged to collect eligible beverage containers and take them to one of the 49 refund points to earn a 10 cent refund per container. This refund can be received in the form of a retail voucher, an electronic refund, or donated to a Donation Partner.

Recycle Rewards operates on a partnership model, where TasRecycle handles the financial operations, marketing and community education to maintain scheme integrity. The Network Operator, TOMRA Cleanaway Tasmania, oversees the refund points, refunds to customers and ensures proper recycling of the containers. The Tasmanian State Government regulates the scheme to ensure efficient operation.

Refund Points

Refund point operators may include small businesses, community organisations, charities, sports clubs and councils throughout Tasmania.

The Network Operator will be responsible for sub-contracting to refund point operators.
Refund point operators receive a fee for every container they receive.

Refund point operators are responsible for:

  • collecting, counting and sorting returned containers,
  • paying the 10 cent refund amount to customers, and
  • preparing materials for transport to a processor.

Community groups and charities

The scheme provides charities, community groups, environmental organisations, sports groups and educational organisations with new and easy ways to raise funds.

Options include:

  • Receive donations from the community
    • Tasmanians can choose to pocket their refund or donate to a participating charity
  • Initiate a collection drive
    • Receive containers from the community

First Suppliers

Our beverage suppliers are responsible for funding our scheme by making monthly payments to us which fund the overall monthly scheme costs. We calculate and invoice these payments based on the approved scheme payments and contribution methodology.

Our scheme costs include:

  • container refunds
  • network fees
  • processing refunds to industry
  • scheme coordinator fee
  • scheme compliance fee

Recyclers

Our network and material facility operator partners manage the sale of containers to recyclers. Your returned container is given a new lease on life. The material is recycled and remanufactured into a new product, saving it from landfill or littering the environment.
Eligible containers

What containers will be included or excluded for refund in Recycle Rewards?

Eligible
All eligible containers will have a 10 cent label, which will mean, providing that is in good condition (uncrushed, empty and with the label and barcode intact) it can be returned to a dedicated refund point in Tasmania. Majority of 150ml to 3L beverage containers will be eligible for a 10 cent refund provided they are made from glass, plastic, aluminium, steel or liquid paperboard.
Aluminium cans
Plastic bottles
Glass bottles
Cartons (under 1L)
Steel bottles/cans
Ineligible
Plain milk bottles or cartons, flavoured milk containers of 1L or more, glass wine bottles, glass spirit bottles, concentrated cordial bottles, and juice containers of 1L or more are not eligible for a refund. Household food containers (e.g. tuna cans) are not eligible for refunds.
Wine & spirit bottles
Plain milk containers
Cartons (1L and over)
Cordial bottles
FAQS

Learn more

Recycle Rewards is a product stewardship scheme, which means beverage companies pay for the 10 cent refund and operating costs, supporting the Tasmanian Government to ensure Recycle Rewards is convenient and accessible for all Tasmanians.

Beverage suppliers play a part in helping to improve recycling rates and reduce the number of containers that wind up in landfill.

Recycle Rewards is set to launch in mid-2025.

Once the scheme commences, Tasmanians are encouraged to collect eligible beverage containers and take them to one of the 49 refund points to earn a 10 cent refund per container. This refund can be received in the form of a retail voucher, an electronic refund, or donated to a Donation Partner.

Recycle Rewards will be run by a Scheme Coordinator and a Network Operator, as a split responsibility model which was the model chosen by the Tasmanian Government.

TasRecycle has been appointed as Scheme Coordinator and will:

  • Manage the financial and administrative aspects of the scheme
  • Conduct audits of the scheme to prevent fraud
  • Pay refund amounts and collection network costs to the Network Operator
  • Report against performance targets set by the government.

TOMRA Cleanaway Tasmania has been appointed as Network Operator and they will:

  • Establish and maintain a network of refund points
  • Distribute refund amounts to consumers
  • Distribute payments to refund point operators.

Integral to the design of the scheme was the desire for all Tasmanians to be able to participate in the scheme and get a refund for their containers, regardless of where they live.

The Network Operator will establish and maintain a state-wide network of 49 refund points, making the scheme accessible to all Tasmanians.

The exact location of each refund point is being finalised and this information will be made available closer to scheme commencement.