Collect, fundraise or donate. Return and Earn makes it convenient and easy for you to support the charities or causes you care about – all while keeping the environment clean and recycling bottles and cans. There are hundreds of official donation partners you can support by donating your container refund. Read on to find out how to donate and learn more about our wonderful donation partners.

Major donation partner

foodbank appeal

Foodbank NSW & ACT

Currently, one in three households in NSW are facing hunger and food insecurity. Foodbank NSW & ACT are helping to provide hunger relief to these local families, linking surplus food and groceries to people in need. Return and Earn has partnered with Foodbank NSW & ACT to help them in their mission to end hunger in Australia. For every five bottles, cans or cartons you donate, Foodbank can create one meal.  

From 21 October 2024 until 20 April 2025, you can donate the refunds from your 10c drink containers to Foodbank NSW & ACT. Together, we are aiming to raise $250,000 to help put food on the table for families in need.  

How to donate through Return and Earn

RETURN AND EARN APP

You can select to donate your 10c refund to any charity, school, sports club or local community group featured on the app from any machines or automated depot (using Tag and Drop) in NSW. Simply:

  1. Open your Return and Earn app AND search for your favourite charity under the “CHARITIES” menu
  2. Press on its tile, scroll down and select ‘Set as payout’
  3. Scan your app at your local Return and Earn machine or automated depot (using Tag and Drop)
  4. Return your containers and press “TRANSFER” on the machine screen or follow the steps on the Tag and Drop screen at an automated depot.

100% of the refund will be donated to the donation partner that you selected to receive your payout.

Download the app

RETURN AND EARN MACHINES

You can support our major donation partner by donating directly on the screens of your machines. Simply:

  1. Return your drink containers
  2. Press “DONATE” on the touchscreen to our major charity partner
  3. Press “CONFIRM” to validate your donation. 100% of your refund will be donated to charity.

RETURN AND EARN MACHINES

You can donate to the charities featured on the screen at any machine by:

  1. Return your containers
  2. Select your preferred donation partner on the touchscreen.
  3. Click ‘Donate’.

Their account will be automatically credited with the full amount.

Find your nearest machine

AUTOMATED DEPOTS

Enquire with your nearest automated depot to check which charities they support.

You can also donate through the app if you use Tag and Drop. 

AUTOMATED DEPOTS

Enquire with your nearest automated depot to check which charities they support.

Find your nearest depot

Check out some of our most active donation partners

Here’s just a snapshot of the types of causes you can support and fundraising campaigns you can donate to.

So open your Return and Earn app today and select to donate to your preferred cause or to the charity, school, sports club or local community group you have a connection with.

Leichardt Espresso Chorus Logo

The Leichardt Espresso Chorus

Harmonising Communities

The Leichhardt Espresso Chorus is a vibrant, enthusiastic group of community members who love to sing and make music. A non-auditioned choir of more than 80 people based in Sydney’s inner west.

Our fundraising campaign is aimed at supporting an extraordinary 80-member choir dedicated to fostering affordable access to the beauty of choral pieces for all. New Australian works are regularly commissioned to create an intergenerational platform for singers aged 8 – 80. By donating your container refunds, you are cultivating harmony, creativity, and cultural enrichment in the community. Thanks for believing in the power of music and its profound impact on individuals and society.

Can Assist Forbes

Supporting Cancer Patients and Their Families in Forbes

Can Assist Forbes provides financial assistance to cancer sufferers and their families, in the local area. Funds from EVERY container donated will give people in the Forbes area the opportunity to have fair and equitable access to cancer care and support services. Distance means country patients are faced with an even bigger hurdle in their cancer journey. Cancer is hard – cancer in the country is harder.

 

Riding for the Disabled Raymond Terrace & Lower Hunter

Bottles for Bales

RDA is raising funds to help feed our horses whilst looking after the environment. We are encouraging everybody to recycle cans and bottles. For every 70 cans / bottles donated this will buy a bale of hay for our horses. If you can’t get to a Return and Earn machine, please feel free to drop your cans and bottles in the marked tub at RDA and we will recycle them for you.

Branxton Preschool

Branxton Preschool Fort Upgrade

At Branxton Preschool we are currently upgrading our outdoor playground equipment to cater for the additional number of children who now attend our preschool service. Our playground upgrade will involve renovations to our existing fort. These upgrades will expand the fort to allow for further development through play for all children. We aim to reduce, reuse and recycle throughout this project. As well as connect with local businesses and the community to facilitate us with our expansion.

Taren Point Roller Skating Club

Keep skating alive in the shire

We are a local Roller Skating Club that provides lessons for all levels of skaters from the first time on skates to going to National competitions in both Artistic and Speed skating. The money raised from Return and Earn will help us to pay for court hire and keep our fees to members low.

Maitland Heritage Guardians

The Red Cedar Project

Maitland Heritage Guardians, Red Cedar Project, aims to restore dry-rainforest along Maitland’s LGA River. This project will take 10 to 15 years to establish along the river. From 2024 to 2028, we will plant canopy species. In 2029, 200 years since Red Cedar Getters last cut down Red Cedars, we will attempt to re-establish red cedar in the understory on the canopy. Will you play a part in this history? $10 plants a tree with biodegradable protection and waters it for up to 2 years.

Find and choose who you want to donate to on the app

An unlimited number of charities, schools, sports club and community groups can be featured on the Return and Earn app. To view the full list and how much your preferred organisation has raised so far, simply open your Return and Earn app, press “Charities” and search for your preferred donation partner. 

Download app

Can’t find your charity?

If your favourite charity, school, sports club or community group isn’t listed as a donation partner, why not let them know they could be raising funds with the Return and Earn scheme?

Interested in fundraising?

Click below to find out how your charity, school, P&C, sports club or community group can start fundraising with Return and Earn.

Fundraise with us

Major appeals and charity campaigns (2019 – 2024)

A little donation goes a long way - Little Wings donation appeal

Little Wings

$198,125 donated

RFS benevolent Fund

RFS Benevolent Fund

$95,443 donated

Youth Off The Streets

$120,000 donated

Protect Our Planet

$158,000 donated

Animal Welfare League NSW

$94,000 donated

Containers for Kids

$122,540 donated

Bottles for the Bush Poster image

Bottles for the Bush

$423,519 donated

Cans for Koalas

$144,515 donated

Bottles CAN Change Lives

$244,383 donated

Donation success stories

Return and Earn teams up with Little Wings to support seriously ill kids

Return and Earn teams up with Little Wings to support seriously ill kids

Read More
RFS Benevolent Fund

RFS Benevolent Fund giving back to firefighters and families

Read More

Return and Earn exceeds fundraising target for Youth Off The Streets

Read More

Coolamon Lions Club and Junee Correctional Centre join forces to recycle and fund local organisations

Read More
More stories

Donations FAQs

  • Where can I donate?

    You can donate the 10c refund for each eligible container returned at any Return and Earn machine and at select automated depots in NSW. Find your closest return point on the map.

  • How do I donate to local charities and fundraising appeals through Return and Earn?

    There are hundreds of charities and fundraising appeals listed on the Return and Earn app. You can donate your refunds to them when you recycle using the app at all Return and Earn machine or any participation Return and Earn depots that offer the Tag and Drop bag-drop service.  

    Download the Return and Earn app today. 

  • What is a donation partner?

    A donation partner is a not-for-profit organisation that has been approved to be featured either on the touch screen or on the app to receive donations from the Return and Earn community.

    Types of organisations that are listed as donation partners include charities, schools, sporting clubs, community and special interest clubs and groups. Political causes or organisations are not permitted to become donation partners.

  • Do I have to use a machine to donate?

    You need to return your containers at a Return and Earn machine in order to donate either on the touchscreen or through the app.

    Some automated depots also support charities and allow you to donate your refunds directly. Enquire with your nearest automated depot to check which charities they support.

    Or you can donate through the Return and Earn app through Tag and Drop.

    Find your nearest automated depot and their contact details on the map.

  • Do I need to use the Return and Earn app to donate?

    No but the app features many donation partners and causes you can choose from.   

    You can also donate your refunds to the major donation partner featured on the touchscreen of your closest Return and Earn machine. 

    Simply return your containers and when you’re done, select ‘donate’ on the screen. Or visit your nearest automated depot to check which charities they support.  

  • I want to donate to a charity or cause who are not listed as a donation partner. What do I do?

    You can get in touch with the charity, not-for-profit organisation, school, sports club or community group that you’d like to donate to and suggest they sign up! For more information, visit TOMRA’s website here.

  • How much money goes to my chosen donation partner?

    100% of the donated refund goes to your chosen donation partner.

  • How do I change my default payout method on the app?

    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 your default payout for all future payments until this is changed.

  • Can I get a tax receipt for my donation?

    You can receive a tax receipt for donations if the charity you donate to has obtained the Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status with the Australian Tax Office.

    You can donate directly on the touch screen to support our selected major donation partner at any Return and Earn machine.  Our major donation partner has DGR status, so if you donate $2 or more, the machine will issue a tax receipt.

    If you donate through the Return and Earn app at any machine or depot, you can obtain a receipt of all the donations made to charities with DGR status.

  • Can I keep track of my donations?

    You can keep track of the donations you have made on the Return and Earn app.

    To access your records, open the app and click on ‘Charities’. Go to the ‘My Donations’ tab on the left-hand side to view a summary of all donations made through the app.

    Scroll down to see each individual campaign you’ve donated to and how much you’ve contributed to each one of them.

    To view your whole recycling history using the app, click ‘Refunds’ on your homepage and you will be able to view all of your donations and other types of refunds that  you received via the app.

  • How do I apply to get my organisation or fundraising appeal listed as a donation partner on the Return and Earn app?

    To register your charity, community group or not-for-profit click HERE and do not hesitate to contact our team at donations.nsw@tomra.com should you have any queries.  

    You can also see the “charity” app feature in action by downloading the FREE Return and Earn app here. 

  • Why do I only see one charity on the screen at a machine?

    Every six months, Return and Earn runs a state-wide donations appeal in partnership with a not-for-profit organisation. The donation option on screens at Return and Earn machines is reserved for promoting this appeal to encourage incidental donations when people are recycling.  

    Unlike the screens, the Return and Earn app can host an unlimited number of charities and fundraising appeals, offering recyclers more choice in who they donate their refunds to.  

  • What are the benefits of being listed on the Return and Earn App as a donation partner?
    • Receive donations from supporters across NSW. 
    • Put your cause in front of hundreds of thousands of active Return and Earn app users and potential donors. 
    • Receive weekly donations reports directly to your inbox and automated payments.  
    • Access the user-friendly charity online platform for easy on-boarding process to get your campaign listed quickly on the Return and Earn app. 
    • Enjoy control and flexibility over managing your campaign, including for messaging and duration.  
    • Review and update your details at any time. 
    • Renew your campaign indefinitely. 

    Access the user-friendly online platform to review and update your campaign at any time, along with automated weekly reports and payments.