Return and Earn
Hotline (NSW)

1800 290 691

General
Enquiries

enquiries@tcnsw.com.au

Donation Partner
Enquiries

donations.nsw@tomra.com

Container Eligibility

As part of the scheme, you can receive a refund for most aluminium, glass, plastic, steel and liquid paperboard beverage containers between 150ml and 3L. A comprehensive database of eligible containers can be found here.

The container refund scheme aims to reduce the amount of beverage container litter in the environment. Eligible containers are most commonly consumed away from home and make up most container litter in the environment.

Excluded containers are commonly consumed in the home and can still be recycled either through existing kerbside collection or drop-off services.

This includes:

    • Any beverage container less than 150ml or more than 3L
    • Any size or material type of containers for:
      • Undiluted cordial
      • Fruit or vegetable juice concentrate
      • Registered health tonics
      • Plain milk
    • Glass containers of any size for:
      • Wine
      • Pure spirits
    • Containers over 1 litre in size for:
      • Flavoured milk
      • Pure fruit juice
      • Pure vegetable juice
      • Cask water
      • Cask wine
      • Wine sachets of more than 250ml or less than 150ml

Containers must be empty.

You don’t have to rinse each container, but it will help you store them cleanly before returning them.

Keep the label on and don’t crush your container, so it can be accepted by a Reverse Vending Machine.

Preferably, lids should be left on beverage containers before taking them to a container refund point, but containers will be accepted either way.

There are several reasons why a container refund point operator may refuse to accept your containers:

    • They are contaminated (i.e. contain sand, dirt, paint, petrol, noxious substances etc.)
    • The container is not recognisable as an eligible container (i.e. crushed beyond recognition or broken in the case of glass).
    • The container is not eligible under the scheme.
    • The container refund point operator has reason to believe the container has been purchased interstate.
    • The container refund point operator has reason to believe the container has already been redeemed or has been deposited from any kerbside recycling operator.
    • If a person refuses to complete a declaration when asked to do so by the container refund point.

Returning your containers

You can return your containers at over 642 return points across NSW.

You can find the full list and your nearest return point here.

Containers can be returned in a number of different ways:

    • Reverse Vending Machines: TOMRA Reverse Vending Machines allow you to return your containers quickly and get your refund right away. Ideal for any number of containers and being able to claim your refund immediately.
    • Over-The-Counter Collection: Over-The-Counter sites are participating local businesses such as news agencies or corner stores. Simply take your eligible containers to the counter. The store assistant will count the containers and issue you a refund.

A Reverse Vending Machine is your high-tech option to return empty eligible containers for recycling. Simply insert your empty containers into the chute at the front of the machine. Containers will be scanned to ensure they are eligible for a refund.

When you’ve finished depositing the containers, the Reverse Vending Machine will issue the refund.

You have the choice of how to receive your refund, as an E-voucher, printed voucher, or you can donate to a charity, school, sports or community group.

Containers deposited at a container refund point will be sorted by material type and prepared for collection and transportation to a processing centre, where the materials are tightly compacted and prepared for recycling.

Containers are then sold via an online auction platform into domestic and export markets to an approved recycler where the material is recycled into new materials or back into beverage containers.

Fundraising with Return and Earn and the Return and Earn App

If your organisation is a school, sporting club, charity, or a not-for-profit community group and you satisfy the eligibility criteria listed below, simply click here to submit your application.

a) Your organisation must fulfil at least one of the following:

    • i. be currently registered as a charity in NSW (unless exempted under the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991); or
    • ii. have Deductible Gift Status with the Australian Taxation Office; or
    • iii.be a registered school (whether primary or secondary, government or private); or
    • iv. if a sporting club or other community, educational or environmental organisation, be incorporated as a not-for-profit organisation (either under the Associations Incorporation Act 2009 or as a company limited by guarantee) and further, if a sporting club, demonstrate an affiliation with a recognised state sporting organisation.

b) be willing, with reasonable endeavours, to use its own networks and resources to promote awareness of its presence on the myTOMRA App to mutual advantage;

c) have been operating for at least three years;

d) be reputable and of good standing in the community;

e) not be a political party or an organisation associated with current political issues or political activism;

f) not be associated with gambling, wagering, tobacco or smoking as a primary source of their income;

g) not be associated with any illegal or criminal activity; and,

h) not be associated with any activity or publicity that could bring the Return & Earn scheme or any of its stakeholders into controversy or disrepute.

If your organisation is a school, sporting club, charity, or a not-for-profit community group and you satisfy the eligibility criteria you can apply and create your dedicated fundraising campaign and be listed on the Return and Earn app.

Eligibility criteria are outlined on the charity onboarding/registration webpage as well as on the terms and conditions.

Absolutely. This functionality on the Return and Earn app and your listing as a donation option on the screen of our machine are two very separate opportunities for you to fundraise through the Return and Earn scheme.

Yes. These are two separate fundraising opportunities.

The best way to see how it works for your supporters is to download the Return and Earn app directly on your phone and see the app “Charity” feature in action.

Download the Return and Earn app from your App store or Google Play store and see how engaging it is and how easy it is for your supporters and for the Return and Earn community to donate to you.

Registration

    1. Evidence of your legal entity (ie. Certificate of your incorporated association, or your parent organisation letter or authority to fundraise if you are using an ABN that doesn’t belong to your organisation, ACNC Certificate….)
    2. A copy of ABN (visit or click on the ABR Lookup Website where you can save a PDF copy)
    3. Proof of Bank details: either a pre-printed bank deposit slip OR Bank Statement header OR Bank Information in PDF Format on Company Letterhead signed by appropriate Management; this proof must clearly state your 1- account name, 2- BSB and 3- your account number
    4. Logo: it must be at least 500pixels High and at least 500 pixels wide. You are able to edit, zoom in or out, and align the logo directly on the platform.

Your logo or image must be at least 500 pixels High AND at least 500 pixels wide. To ensure your listing on the Return and Earn App looks professional, the logo or image you are attaching to your application must meet these specifications. It can be round, square or rectangular as long as it is larger than 500 pixels in both width and height.

You will not be able to proceed with your application unless it matches these dimensions. Please also note that if the logo or the image you provide is not satisfactory (ie. blurry, or out of proportion), we will upload a generic image.

If you are having issues with your logo, please contact us at donations.nsw@tomra.com

Please take note of both the email address you used to sign-up as well as your password.

To retrieve your password simply click on “Forgot password” and follow the prompts to update. Please also check your junk email folder.

In case you forget the email address you’ve used to sign up after you’ve created your campaign, please contact us at donations.nsw@tomra.com and confirm the name of your fundraising campaign and/or the name of your organisation.

The registration is a 2-step process that takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

To make it quicker, start collecting the information you need to complete your registration: evidence of your legal status (ie. ACNC certificate, certificate of incorporation for associations, affiliation with your federation for sports clubs, ACNC certificate, etc…), PDF copy of ABN registration, one proof of bank details, and one logo/image.

Yes you can. Simply press “Save Progress” at the top right-hand corner of your screen.

You can register without using a shared email address, we recommend you do, especially if your charity is run by volunteers.

A shared mailbox accessible by more than 1 person decreases the risk of losing your login details, even if staff or volunteers change.

This information doesn’t get published on the app., this is for internal purposes only.

Your “Awareness and Engagement plan” is a simple list (4-5 bullet points) that shows the activities that demonstrate your ability and willingness to use your own resources, networks, social media assets, media partners, promotional activities and other reasonable means to raise awareness about your fundraising campaign with Return and Earn and to encourage people in the community to recycle and to donate the proceeds from eligible containers, to the mutual benefit of the donation partner, the Return and Earn scheme and TOMRA.

It’s important to create a campaign that resonates with BOTH your community of supporters AND the wider “Return and Earn” community. Make your campaign relevant, advise us of where the funds will be spent, and what the impact these donations will have on your community.

When possible, adapt your dollar handles so they are relevant to a “Return and Earn” donor. There is no small donation and we recommend you provide examples of how 5, 10, 20, 50 or 100 drink container refunds donated can help you and how it will have a positive impact on the community your organisation is supporting (ie: “5 drink containers could help us deliver 1 meal to someone in need”, “20 bottles or cans helps us provide bandages for an injured koala”).

The campaign description is limited to 300 characters.

Please send details of your application by email to donations.nsw@tomra.com

    1. Give your campaign a name and make it relevant to the Return and Earn community – to better engage your supporters and the wider community, specify how the funds raised will benefit the community. (ie: “5 drink containers help us deliver a meal to someone in need”, “20 bottles or cans donated helps us provide bandages for an injured koala”, “50 drink containers provide a dignity pack to someone fleeing domestic violence “Donating 10-50 bottles or cans will help us provide a daily meal of premium food for an Assistance Dog puppy in training…)
    2. Select start/end date – setting an ambitious and attainable deadline is a powerful motivator but allow a reasonable amount of time to achieve your goals. The duration of your fundraising campaign must be set from a minimum of 3 months and up to 1 year.
    3. Set a target – set a target that will inspire your community to help you reach it. Remember, one eligible bottle or can donated is worth 10 cents so set a target that is challenging but not impossible to reach.

The great news is that you can monitor the success of your campaign in real-time directly on the Return and Earn app.

Download the app on your phone and press on your campaign to find out to see “LIVE” how many donations and how much your campaign is generating.

In addition to that, you will be receiving a volume report each week (for donations made the previous week) and receive weekly payments directly to your nominated bank account.

When you donate through the Return and Earn app, the machine will not print a tax receipt. Instead, the Return and Earn app user can download a receipt of their donation from within the app, as well as a full summary of their donations.

They just need to go to the ‘Refunds’ menu, select the ‘Export’ icon at the top of the screen. Select the date range and a report/tax receipt will be sent to your nominated email address for all donations made to a charity that has obtained the DGR status with the Australian Tax Office.

Yes, the barcode will still be accepted at our machines. However, this new functionality has many advantages both for your organisation and your supporters.

As an organisation listed on the app, you can see in real-time how many donations and how much your campaign is generating.

Plus you get a weekly report, and payment is made automatically to your nominated bank account. As for your supporters, they can track your campaign live on their phone, keep a record of all their donations and if you have obtained the DGR status with the Australian Tax Office, they can even get a tax-deductible receipt directly sent to their inbox.

Scheme Questions

Return and Earn is the largest litter reduction initiative introduced in NSW, commencing on 1 December 2017.

Littering impacts all of us. It spoils our environment, costs millions of dollars to clean up, and is associated with anti-social behaviour. Drink container litter makes up 44 per cent of the volume of all litter across NSW.

Return and Earn will reduce the number of drink containers in the litter stream and help to meet the Premier’s goal of reducing the volume of litter in NSW by 40 per cent by 2020.

Through Return and Earn, you can return eligible beverage containers to a return point and earn a 10-cent refund per container.

This refund can be in the form of a voucher to redeem as cash or at a retail partner, or a digital refund, or you can donate your refund to a donation partner.

Claiming your refund at an RVM

You can receive your refund in 4 ways:

    • Through a retail voucher or E-voucher, which can be redeemed as cash or used for your shopping at Woolworths or Coles. The E-voucher is only available through the Return and Earn app. The Return and Earn app can be downloaded here.
    • As a direct transfer through your nominated bank account via the Return and Earn App – which can be downloaded here.
    • Directly to your PayPal account via the Return and Earn app, which can be paid into to your bank account or used for online purchases. The app can be downloaded here.
    • Donated directly to a charity or community organisation listed on the Reverse Vending Machine or on the Return and Earn App. 100% of the money you donate will go to the charity you choose.

The Return and Earn app can be downloaded here.

E-Vouchers / Print Vouchers

To claim your refund through E-voucher, download the Return and Earn app here. Sign in or register an account.

When you’re at the kiosk, scan your barcode before you return your containers to get your refund in E-vouchers.

E-Vouchers are only available through Reverse Rending Machines.

Simply return your containers at a Reverse Vending Machine and select the “Voucher” option at the end of your session.

You can redeem your voucher refund at the redemption partner listed at the top of your printed voucher.

The voucher is redeemable for cash or can be used for payment towards your shopping. It is not currently available for online purchases.

E-voucher is only available at Reverse Vending Machines that have Woolworths or Coles as the redemption partner.

If you use your Return and Earn app at an RVM that lists an IGA or an independent store as the redemption partner, you will need to collect your refund via PayPal.

Bank Transfer

You are now able to set up your Payout option in the Return and Earn app to have your refunds transferred directly to a nominated bank account.

Setup and select bank account as your preferred payout option and any pending balance, pending e-vouchers and all future recycling sessions will be paid directly to your bank account – until you amend to another payout option.

Your refund will take one banking day to arrive in your account after recycling. Banking days are generally the same as business days.

You can contact our customer service team on 1800 290 691 for further assistance.

Your refund will take one banking day to arrive in your account. Banking days are generally the same as business days.

We do not collect data such as usernames and passwords used to log into your online banking. The details of your preferred bank account remain in the app so that you don’t have to repeatedly connect your bank account.

To remove your bank account details from your account click the ‘More’ button at the top right of the home screen of your app, select ‘Edit Payout Methods’ and then select ‘Remove’ under your bank account details.

Absolutely! This is an additional payout option, it is not replacing any of the existing payment options within the Return and Earn app. Instead, you can set your payout as either an E-voucher, PayPal or donation.

Please note, E-vouchers are only available at return points that provide a Coles or Woolworths cash voucher.

Yes! This is an additional feature, everything else remains the same on the app but we are providing extra ways to earn through Return and Earn.

In the middle of the home screen, you will see “Your active payout” which will either state “PayPal”, “Digital Voucher” or a campaign name.

By clicking on this white box, you will open up a list of all payout methods available. Here you can select to add your bank account to set up direct bank transfers.

To do this, you would need to amend your active payout before the session where you want to make the split. Set the active payout within the app before returning your containers eg. Bank Account.

Scan your barcode, return your containers and click TRANSFER. This will then transfer your refund to your nominated bank account.

Then, if you’d like to donate some of your containers to charity, for example, open the app again, change the active payout to the campaign of your choice and repeat as above: Scan your barcode, return your containers and click TRANSFER.

This will then transfer your refund to the charity/campaign you’re supporting.

Unfortunately, our service provider requires you to have online banking to receive payment directly to your bank account from the Return and Earn app.

If you do not have online banking but would like to get your refunds transferred to your bank account, you can choose to set up online banking or you can link your bank account to a PayPal account and set your active payout as PayPal.

No. This payment type allows the refund to be transferred to a bank account, not to a card.

Unfortunately, our service provider does not support customers who bank with Bank of Queensland – this is the only bank account excluded.

If you’d like to get your refunds transferred to a BOQ account, we’d suggest linking this account to a PayPal account and setting your active payout as PayPal.

You will see the payment in your bank account as “Return and Earn”

Yes – you can see this when you connect your bank account and you can view it here.

Charity Donations

It’s easy to donate to a charity, school or community group. Simply return your containers at a Reverse Vending Machine and select the “Donate” option at the end of your session. You will then be given a menu to select which organisation you would like to donate to.

Select your preferred organisation and press the “Confirm” button to donate. Please note 100% of the money you donate will be given to the charity.

Organisations who want to become a donation partner with TOMRA are required to satisfy the eligibility criteria as outlined on the application form.

If your organisation is a school, sporting club, charity, or a not-for-profit community group and you satisfy the eligibility criteria you can apply to become a donation partner by completing the application form found on our Charity and Community page here and returning it with the supporting documentation to donations.nsw@tomra.com

Donation partners are selected based on a first come, first serve basis for applications that fulfil the eligibility criteria.

You can find out more on our Charity and Community page.

PayPal

To claim your refund through PayPal, download the Return and Earn app here.

Ensure you register for a PayPal account, if you haven’t already, and then link it to your account via the Payment Settings menu.

When you’re at the kiosk, scan your barcode before you return your containers to get your refund via PayPal.

If you’ve been using the Return and Earn app and have accrued E-vouchers, you can easily send those through to PayPal.

Simply link your PayPal account and your E-vouchers will automatically get sent through.

To link your PayPal account, go into the “Payment Settings” menu in the App and select the PayPal function.

Unfortunately, once a transaction has hit your PayPal account, your refund is considered to be paid out, and cannot go into an E-voucher.

To avoid accidentally sending money into your PayPal account, go into your Payment settings in the Return and Earn App and choose your preferred method.

You can contact our hotline on 1800 290 691.

Our dedicated team of customer service professionals will work with you to ensure that your refund is recognised.