Phone
(WA)
1300 67 00 44
General
Enquiries
help.wa@tomra.com
Donation Partner
Enquiries
donations.wa@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.
Lids must be removed from the container before feeding them in to the reverse vending machines.
The lids of your containers are made from a different material to the container itself so need to be recycled separately.
Please bring your lids (metal and plastic) in a separate bag to recycle at the centre.
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.
Claiming your refund
You can receive your refund in 3 ways:
- Through a retail voucher which can be redeemed as cash or used for your shopping at Woolworths.
- To your bank account or PayPal account via your Containers For Change scheme ID barcode.
- Donated directly to a charity or community organisation. You can do this by scanning the Scheme ID barcode of the charity you are donating to.
Simply return your containers at a Reverse Vending Machine and select the “Voucher” option at the end of your session.
You will receive a voucher that you can exchange for cash at Woolworths or Coles.
To get your refund directly into your bank account, register for a Containers for Change scheme ID and set your refund method to Bank Transfer.
At the RVM, scan your Scheme ID barcode before returning your containers. Your refund will be transferred to your nominated bank account within 1 business day.
To get your refund via PayPal, register for a Containers for Change scheme ID and set your refund method to PayPal.
At the RVM, scan your Scheme ID barcode before returning your containers. Your refund will be transferred to your nominated PayPal account within 1 business day.
You can scan the Containers For Change Scheme ID barcode for any charity, community group, NFP, or school so your refund will go directly to their nominated bank account.
You can search for any charity registered for support here.
You can redeem your voucher/E-voucher refund at any Woolworths store Australia-wide.
The voucher is redeemable for cash or can be used for payment towards your shopping. It is not currently available for online purchases.
You can contact our hotline on 1300 11 88 88 – our dedicated team of customer service professionals will work with you to ensure that your refund is recognised.
Community Engagement
Organisations who want to become a donation partner with TOMRA Recycling Centres are required to satisfy the eligibility criteria as outlined on the application form which can be downloaded here.
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 and returning it with the supporting documentation to donations.qld@tomra.com.
Organisations have a variety of ways they can get involved to help raise funds;
- School, sporting club, charity, or a not-for-profit community groups can apply to become a donation partner on a Reverse Vending Machines at their local TOMRA Recycling Centres and receive donations from people using the machine who choose to donate.
- Organisations that have year-round contact with a large community of members (e.g. a school or sporting club) can become a local container collection point. Members of their community can then drop off and donate their eligible containers, equivalent to a 10-cent donation to the organisation.
- Smaller organisations, or those who have more sporadic contact with their community or membership base, may wish to run container collection drives at set times during the year. For example at a local fundraising event members and the wider community would be able to donate their eligible containers. Mobile collection cages will be available for hire from your local TOMRA Recycling Centre.
To register your interest in becoming a donation partner please visit the Charity and Community page.
Please contact the TOMRA Team for more information or to book a trailer on 1300 11 88 88
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.
There are a variety of checks that are completed to ensure each applicant is eligible to become a donation partner.
Local organisations must use the funds raised in their local area.
Applicants who fulfil the donation partner criteria can apply to become a donation partner at their local depot on the Reverse Vending Machines. It’s easy to apply:
- Go to Charity and Community page to find out more.
- Download and complete an application form and send this together with the supporting documents to donations.qld@tomra.com
- You will be advised of the status of your application as soon as possible.
- If your application is successful you will receive a confirmation email with the dates of your partnership and a standard contract to sign and return.
- Donation partners are rotated every 3-months to give as many not-for-profit organisations as possible the opportunity to fundraise through the scheme.
TOMRA trailers are available for 48-hour hire on a first come, first serve basis. Trailer hire is FREE provided it is used for the collection and returning of containers to a TOMRA Collection Recycling Centre.
Please contact the TOMRA Team for more information or to book a trailer on 1300 11 88 88.
Scheme Questions
The Queensland Government has introduced a Container Refund Scheme (CRS) to reduce the amount of beverage container litter that enters our environment by providing an incentive for people to collect and return eligible containers for recycling in exchange for a refund payment.
Flow-on benefits include business and employment opportunities as part of the operation of the scheme.
The Queensland Parliament passed the Waste Reduction and Recycling Amendment Bill with bipartisan support in September 2017. It provides that the CRS will be established, managed and operated by a Product Responsibility Organisation (PRO). The Queensland Government appointed Container Exchange as the PRO.
The PRO’s responsibilities include (but are not limited to) ensuring the product stewardship of beverage manufacturers by collecting funds from beverage manufacturers (which are required by legislation to fund the costs of the CRS), contracting with Container Refund Point Operators and other service providers to deliver the CRS.
Container Exchange was founded to apply for the role of the Product Responsibility Organisation under the Queensland Container Refund Scheme (CRS).
Container Exchange is a not-for-profit entity that is focused on achieving the aims of the CRS – reducing beverage container litter and fostering job opportunities in recycling by working closely with local businesses, social enterprises and community groups.
Beverage manufacturers that sell beverages ineligible containers will be required to fund the cost of the scheme, including the refund amount paid, as well as operating costs such as costs associated with collecting, sorting, counting and transporting collected materials.
To cover their costs, beverage manufacturers may choose to increase the price of their products to retailers. This will be a decision for each beverage manufacturer individually.
Members of the public will have the opportunity to recoup part of any price increases by exchanging containers for the 10-cent refund.
