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Media release
27 NOV 2023

Return and Earn exceeds fundraising target for Youth Off The Streets

The NSW Government is proud to announce that recyclers have raised more than $120,000 for Youth Off The Streets to support their work helping vulnerable young people.

In April, Return and Earn joined forces with Youth Off The Streets to launch a six month recycling appeal to raise $100,000. The charity was featured as the donation partner on all Return and Earn machines in NSW, encouraging the public to donate their container refunds in support of their important work.

In just over six months, 1.1 million bottles, cans and cartons were returned by generous NSW recyclers who chose for their refunds to go towards the worthy cause.

Every year, tens of thousands of young people aged 12 to 24 seek help from homelessness services. Youth Off The Streets plays a vital role helping young people remain safe and connected to school, employment and support networks.

While Youth of the Streets has now finished its term as the scheme’s statewide donation partner, recyclers can still choose to donate to the organisiation using the Return and Earn app.

Return and Earn is a great example of the environmental, economic and social benefits that can be achieved through recycling.

More than 10.3 billion bottles, cans and cartons have been returned and recycled into new bottles and food-grade packaging through the scheme since it launched nearly six years ago, resulting in $1.3 billion in refunds to the community.

Find out more about donating through Return and Earn.

Return and Earn is a partnership between the NSW Government, scheme coordinator Exchange for Change and network operator TOMRA Cleanaway.