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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.
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:
- Open your Return and Earn app AND search for your favourite charity under the “CHARITIES” menu
- Press on its tile, scroll down and select ‘Set as payout’
- Scan your app at your local Return and Earn machine or automated depot (using Drop and Go)
- 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.
RETURN AND EARN MACHINES
A minimum of two donation partners are featured on each screen of your local Return and Earn machines. To donate your 10c refund, simply:
- Return your drink containers
- Press “DONATE” on the touchscreen
- Select your preferred donation partner and press “CONFIRM” to validate your donation.
Their account will be credited with the full amount
RETURN AND EARN MACHINES
You can donate to the charities featured on the screen at any machine by:
- Return your containers
- Select your preferred donation partner on the touchscreen.
- Click ‘Donate’.
Their account will be automatically credited with the full amount.
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.
Our current donation partners
Youth Off The Streets Partners with Return and Earn
Youth Off The Streets has joined forces with Return and Earn to raise money for vulnerable Aussie youth. Each eligible bottle or can recycled through Return and Earn from April to October will raise 10 cents to help Youth Off The Streets transform the lives of homeless and vulnerable young people in our community. The campaign aims to raise $100,000 in six months.
Last year 39,300 young people aged 12–24 sought homelessness services. This campaign will see support given to youth across NSW and will directly help young people who are faced with homelessness after escaping from abuse or neglect at home.
You can help vulnerable youth when you recycle with Return and Earn. Here’s how:
– Start by collecting eligible containers to return and earn.
– Visit your nearest Return and Earn machine.
– Press “DONATE” directly on the screen, select ‘Youth Off The Streets’ then ‘CONFIRM’ and 100% of the donated refunds will go directly to the charity.
– You can also donate via the Return and Earn app, simply download it and set Youth Off The Streets as your active payout method.
– Get collecting today and help keep homeless and vulnerable young people off the streets.
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.
2nd Turramurra Scout Group
New Outdoor Equipment
2nd Turramurra Scouts provides local youth aged between 5 and 25 with fun and challenging opportunities to grow through adventure. Our organisation is raising funds to purchase new equipment.
Blacktown Area Community Centres Inc.
Emergency Food Hampers
Our organisation is raising funds to purchase pantry items to create emergency hampers to support disadvantaged families in the Blacktown Local Government area.
Central Coast Sports College
Year 6 Social Action CCSC
Year 6 students at Central Coast Sports College are implementing the school recycling program and reducing landfill by collecting plastic drink containers. The funds raised will assist in the costs of their Year 6 farewell. Any leftover funds will be put towards the identified college social action project.
Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation
Return and Earn to go All In for Kid’s Health
The Sydney Children Hospital Foundation provides world-class paediatric care and research across our foundation. Our core 5 entities include: The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick, Bear Cottage, NETS, and Kids Research.
Every 10 cent drink container that you “return and donate” to Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation has a direct impact. Your donations help us support the health and well-being of over 155,000 sick children and their families across Australia each year. Do your best to Return and Earn as we are All In for Kid’s Health together. Thank you for your support.
Community Flower Studio
PETAL-IT-FORWARD to put a SMILE on Someone’s Face
Community Flower Studio (CFS) is a charity that promotes mental well-being and empower young people living with mental ill health. CFS provides a safe and inclusive space for youth to meet and interact in a supportive environment, led by a team of positive role models, many of whom are professionals who have lived experience of mental ill health. We host regular creative workshops that are co-facilitated by young people, for young people, which offers them opportunities to talk about mental well-being.
Warringah Hockey Association
Northern Beaches Hockey & Multi-Sport Facility
Our organisation is raising funds to develop the very first synthetic Hockey facility on the Northern Beaches. Money raised will go towards developing a currently under-utilised local facility, and will mean that thousands of children will no longer need to travel to play. As over 70% of our participation rate is female, you’ll also be helping the part of our community that currently need it most…girls!
Find and select your donation partner
Donation partners on the Return and Earn 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.
Donation partners on screens at Return and Earn machines
Click “View PDF” below to check which local charity, sports club, school or community groups are featured on the screens of your local Return and Earn machine.
Tip! Search by LGA or look up a specific organisation with ‘Ctrl+F’ and type in the charity’s name
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.
Previous donation partners
Major appeals and charity campaigns (2019 – 2022)
Animal Welfare League NSW
Recyclers in NSW have raised over $94,000 to help Animal Welfare League NSW (AWL) rescue, rehabilitate and re-home animals in need by recycling a massive 940,000 bottles and cans through Return and Earn.
From April to October 2022, AWL featured as the statewide donation partner on all Return and Earn machines across NSW, enabling recyclers to donate their container refunds to the charity directly from the interactive touch screen.
Containers fot Kids
$122,540 donated
Bottles for the Bush
$423,519 donated
Cans for Koalas
$144,515 donated
Bottles CAN Change Lives
$244,383 donated
Donation success stories
- 18 January 2023
