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 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
  4. Return your containers and press “TRANSFER” on the machine screen.”

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

A minimum of two donation partners are featured on each screen of your local Return and Earn machines. To donate your 10c refund, simply:

  1. Return your drink containers
  2. Press “DONATE” on the touchscreen
  3. 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:

  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.

AUTOMATED DEPOTS

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

Find your nearest depot

Our current donation partners

Animal Welfare League NSW

Donation Partner AWL

Animal Welfare League NSW helps care for thousands of vulnerable animals each year. Now, you can support them by donating at any machine, with over 350 locations across NSW to choose from. You can also set them as your preferred charity on the app. Every single refund that gets donated counts and will make an impact:  

– 20 drink containers could provide a dog with a fun toy to enrich the life of an animal in a shelter

– 50 drink containers could provide a microchip to an animal

– 100 drink containers could provide a dog with soft bedding

It’s easy to support this worthy cause. Recycle your eligible drink containers at a machine, click ‘DONATE’ on the screen and then select Animal Welfare League NSW. You can also set them as your preferred charity on the app.

100% of your refund will help the many animals that come into care. Thank you for helping to rescue, rehabilitate & rehome animals in need. 

Watch the video below to see how easy it is to support this worthy cause.

Check out some of our most active donation partners

2nd Turramurra Scouts

New Equipment For Our Outdoor Youth Activities

2nd Turramurra Scouts provides local youth aged between 5 and 25 with fun and challenging opportunities to grow through adventure.

We will use funds raised to replace equipment like worn tents, hiking equipment, ropes.

Clean Up Australia

Help Clean Up Australia – Every Day!

Clean Up Australia Day has grown into the nation’s largest community-based environmental event.

All funds raised will help provide free kits all year-round to schools, communities and youth groups all over the country – from the tip of the Top End, to the rainforests of Tassie, from Albany to Yungaburra.

Dubbo Macquarie United FC

Kicking Goals with
Recycling

MUFC is a family focused and community inclusive soccer that has players, coaches, families and supporters from Dubbo, Wellington, Narromine, Peak Hill, Gilgandra, Coonamble and surrounding areas.

MUFC will use funds for grassroots and junior playing equipment and first aid supplies.

Marrar Public School P&C Association

Replace Our Playground Soft Fall Bark

Marrar Public School P&C Association raises funds to support the small school of 16 students. Funds raised go towards purchasing resources and equipment, subsidising excursions and incursions, funding the cost of the online maths program, and maintaining our school grounds.

Sydney Marae Alliance

Cultural Centre In Sydney: We CAN Do It!

The SMA’s vision is to establish a cultural centre for Maori in Sydney to build the cultural awareness and retain Maori culture for future generations.

Funds raised will help build a community of people and educate the community on how they can contribute to a positive sustainability program.

GIVIT

Supporting Flood Impacted Communities In NSW

GIVIT matches generosity with genuine need. GIVIT is managing offers of donated goods, services, volunteering and funds, including corporate offers, in response to the widespread flooding across NSW. GIVIT is an easy and efficient way of donating directly to people impacted by this event without overwhelming charities and frontline services on the ground. Donating to GIVIT ensures that people get exactly what they need, when they need it.

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. 

Download app

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

View PDF

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

Previous donation partners

Successful major appeals (2019-2022)

Starlight Children's Foundation

Generous recyclers across NSW have raised an incredible $122,540 for Starlight Children’s Foundation, helping to brighten the lives of sick children and the environment all at the same time.

Launched in November last year, the ‘Containers for Kids’ recycling appeal encouraged anyone using a Return and Earn machine in NSW to donate some of their container refund to Starlight Children’s Foundation.

Read more

Bottles for the Bush

$423,519 donated

Cans for Koalas

$144,515 donated

Bottles CAN Change Lives

$244,383 donated

Donation success stories

Starlight presentation
Container recycling nets $122,540 for Starlight Children’s Foundation
Read More
Riley
Young Entrepreneur Cleaning Up His Community, Earning Money and Helping Charities
Read More
Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter
Community rallies to support women’s shelter with container refunds
Read More
Can Assist
Container returns are helping Can Assist support rural cancer patients
Read More
More stories

Donation FAQ's

  • Where can I donate?

    You can donate the 10 cent 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?

    There are several ways to donate your drink container refunds. You can donate to the charities featured on the screen at the Return and Earn machines, select your preferred charity or cause on the Return and Earn app, or visit your nearest automated depot to check which charities they support.

    To donate on the screens at machines, simply return your containers and when you’re done, select your preferred charity on the screen and click ‘donate’.

    To donate on the Return and Earn app, you will need to set a donation partner as your payout method. Login to the app and click ‘Charities’. Use the search tool to find your preferred charity campaign and click on its tile. A new page detailing the campaign will appear. Scroll to the bottom of this page and click on the button ‘Set as payout’. Your chosen donation partner will be set as your payout method and next time you return your containers at a machine using the app, your refund will be sent to that partner.

  • 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.

    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 any donation partner featured on the touchscreen of your closest Return and Earn machine.

    Simply return your containers and when you’re done, select your preferred charity on the screen and click ‘donate’. 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?

    Only if the charity you donate to has obtained the Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status with the Australian Tax Office.

    If you donate through the Return and Earn app, the user can download a receipt of all the donations made to a charity with DGR status from within the app. Open the app and click on ‘Refunds’. On the next page, press the ‘Export’ icon in the top right-hand corner. Select the date range and a report and/or tax receipt (if applicable) will be sent to the nominated email address, showing donations made to a charity that has obtained DGR status.

    If you donate to a charity that has the DGR status at a Return and Earn machine, it will print a receipt for all donations made over $2.00.

  • 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 become a donation partner?

    If you are interested in learning more about fundraising through Return and Earn, check out this page.

    If you want to apply to become a donation partner on the machines or the app, visit https://mytomra.com.au/charity/nsw