• Four materials, infinite cycles

Recycling different materials

In Australia, most drink containers can be recycled in two ways: through your kerbside recycling bin or via a Container Deposit Scheme (CDS). Both keep valuable materials out of landfill, but CDS is the preferred pathway, the material comes back cleaner and is easier to remake into new bottles and cans.
Learn about CDS
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Material by material

How each container
becomes something new

Tap a material to see how it’s processed and the best way to recycle it at home.
Endless quality

Aluminium cans

Aluminium is one of the most successfully recycled materials globally. The aluminium in each can is recovered and remade into new cans without losing quality. Once collected, cans are crushed, melted and rolled into sheets, ready to be refilled and reused.

Endless quality
Recycle the pull-tabs too, by leaving them attached or by placing them inside the can. If collected separately, some community groups accept tabs for fundraising through scrap metal recycling.

Closing the loop

Bottle to bottle, again and again

Tap each stage to follow a single bottle around the circular economy, from your hand back to the shelf.

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Common questions

About recycling

Is my container actually recycled?
Yes. When you return a container through a Container Deposit Scheme, it’s sent to dedicated facilities where materials are sorted and processed. Aluminium, glass and PET plastic are all recycled into new containers, and every year, billions of bottles and cans are successfully recovered this way.

Containers placed in kerbside recycling bins are still recycled, but the quality of the material is often lower because it’s mixed with other recyclables and may be broken during collection. This means the material is less likely to be recycled back into food-grade packaging. Both systems are important, but deposit schemes provide a cleaner stream of food-grade material for recycling.

If you choose to donate your refund, the container still goes through the same recycling process. The difference is your 10-cent refund goes directly to the charity, school or community group you’ve chosen. This supports thousands of local organisations each year, while ensuring every container is recovered and recycled.

How to get your 10c back

Container Deposit Schemes allow you to collect your refund amount and provide a cleaner recycling stream for drink containers.

Container Deposit Schemes