The one-millionth deposit in Recycle Rewards, Tasmania’s new container deposit scheme, was made on Sunday morning – just four days after the scheme’s launch.
Environment Minister Madeleine Ogilvie thanked Tasmanians for embracing the scheme with such enthusiasm.
“Recycle Rewards rewards Tasmanians for doing the right thing, ensuring that litter is recycled and doesn’t go into landfill, or the environment where it can hurt our wildlife,” Ogilvie said.
“Thirty-nine per cent of refunds and donations were made via the Recycle Rewards app, demonstrating a high level of digital literacy among our population.”
Tasmania’s container deposit scheme was launched on 1 May 2025. Under the scheme, Tasmanians can choose to either receive a refund of 10 cents for every eligible container they deposit or donate the proceeds to one of more than 120 official Donation Partners.
The three partners with the most donations to date are Tassie Mums, Landcare Tasmania, and the Burnie Men’s Shed.
Of the more than 1.2 million deposits made by the end of the day on Sunday, 4 May, 594,253 were made in the south; 405,765 in the north; and 206,211 in the north west and on the West Coast.
Welcoming the key milestone was TasRecycle Chair Ben Kearney and TOMRA Cleanaway Chief Executive Officer James Dorney.
“This is the start of an exciting future for the scheme in Tasmania, that benefits our environment and charity and community groups,” Kearney said.
Dorney said TOMRA Cleanaway was proud to be making it easy for Tasmanians to return eligible drink containers as the company continues to roll out the remaining refund points across the state.
Sunday was the busiest day for deposits during the four-day period, with a total of 362,880 deposits being made that day.
The most popular container types deposited were aluminium (62 per cent), followed by plastic (25 per cent), glass (12 per cent), and liquid paper board (one per cent).
There are currently 40 refund points across Tasmania, and a further nine will be installed by the end of August 2025.
For more information, visit: www.recyclerewards.com.au
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