Official Website
Visit the official website at RecycleRewards.com.au
If you are a First Responsible Supplier, please visit the Scheme Coordinator TasRecycle.
If you are interested in registering as a Donation Partner, please visit the Recycle Rewards fundraising page.
Scheme Participants
Following Recycle Rewards’ successful commencement on 1 May 2025, now is a good time to remind scheme participants about support available for, and obligations under, Tasmania’s Container Refund Scheme:
Until 30 June 2025 there are $1,000 grants available to assist small beverage producers with the transition to scheme-compliant labelling and refund markings. Apply now.
There are penalties for not displaying special barcodes and 10c refund marks on eligible containers. This won’t be enforced until 1 November 2026. However, beverage producers are encouraged to transition ASAP to compliant barcodes and 10c refund marks as this may help prevent frustration for their retail and wholesale purchasers.
There are other penalties which do apply now. Examples include:
Supplying an eligible container known not to be approved/registered (In 2025, suppliers who have applied and whose container registration is pending won’t be penalised for supplying that container during processing)
First Responsible Supplier not entering into a supply agreement
Material Recovery Facility Operators claiming refund amounts prematurely
Grants Announcement
Tasmania’s new container refund scheme Recycle Rewards commenced on the 1 May 2025.
To help the transition for small Tasmanian beverage producers, the Tasmanian Government is funding a grant that is now available.
The Small Producer Assistance Grant aim to provide eligible small Tasmanian beverage producers with assistance for general administrative costs associated with container approvals, obtaining barcodes, and container label updating and printing.
The grant is operated by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) using funds provided by the Tasmanian State Government. The total amount of funds available for allocation under this grant scheme is $80,000. The maximum total grant amount that a business can receive is $1,000 (excluding GST).
To apply please read the guidelines and complete an online SmartyGrants application.
Applications for these grants close on 30 June 2025 at 11:55pm, or when available funds are expended.
Scheme Coordinator and Network Operator
TasRecycle have been announced as the Scheme Coordinator and TOMRA Cleanaway as the Network Operator.
The Tasmanian Government's model for the scheme is a split responsibility involving a Scheme Coordinator to administer it, and a Network Operator to operate the network.
TasRecycle is a not-for-profit entity that was formed by Lion Pty Ltd, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and Asahi Beverages to bid to become the Scheme Coordinator. The partners have extensive experience in managing container refund schemes across Australia, with one or more of the companies involved in every Australian jurisdiction with a container refund scheme.
Background
Container refund schemes incentivise the return of eligible drink containers in exchange for a refund. The collected containers must then be recycled to ensure materials have future use. These schemes are an example of ‘Extended Producer Responsibility’ (often referred to as ‘polluter pays’) and are proven to both reduce public littering and improve recycling outcomes.
Tasmania’s container refund scheme is Recycle Rewards, and its two objectives – to reduce litter and increase recycling – will support the development of our circular economy.
Drink containers make up 45 per cent of Tasmania’s litter by volume. It is estimated that Recycle Rewards will reduce this by up to half, as well as double recycling rates of eligible drink containers.
Read the
Explanatory Paper or watch the video below to see how the scheme will work.
Legal Framework
The Container Refund Scheme Bill 2021 has passed through Parliament, supporting the Government’s vision of reducing litter and increasing recycling. The Bill passed the House of Assembly on 10 November 2021, and passed the Legislative Council unamended on 10 March 2022.
The Container Refund Scheme Act 2022 can be viewed on the Tasmanian Legislation website.
The draft Container Refund Scheme Regulations 2023 were released for public consultation on 3 May 2023, outlining key operational details stemming from the Container Refund Scheme Act 2022. The
draft Container Refund Scheme Regulations 2023 are available. The public feedback period has closed, and submissions will be published shortly.