Pepsi and Special Australia have launched ‘The Recycling Rethink’, an initiative to dramatically incentivise the recycling of their bottles and cans, working closely with TOMRA — the NSW Government’s partner responsible for operating ‘Return and Earn’ reverse vending machines.
From now until November 22nd 2025, anyone who recycles a Pepsi container at any Return and Earn machine in NSW will have the opportunity to earn an additional $50,000, $10,000, $1,000, or $100, on top of the normal 10c refund.
Special Australia’s Alastair Flack and Mark Starmach said, “The Recycling Rethink started with a simple enough question: If you could earn more for recycling a Pepsi, wouldn’t you recycle Pepsi more?”
Thus began a three-year journey for Pepsi to find a way to make it happen, working in close collaboration with TOMRA, the NSW Government’s partner responsible for the Return and Earn reverse vending machines, and Exchange For Change, who are responsible for the Return and Earn Scheme overall.
Ultimately, the solution came by tapping into a previously overlooked feature inside Return and Earn’s reverse vending machines: A humble barcode scanner.
“Typically, the data recognised by this barcode scanner is only used to validate an eligible container,” Alastair and Mark continued.
“But now, whenever an eligible Pepsi barcode is detected, it will also automatically trigger the printing of a special voucher at the end of the recycler’s session, in addition to the normal 10c refund voucher. When the unique QR code on it is scanned, it’ll instantly say if they’ve earned anything extra.”
PepsiCo ANZ managing director beverages, Susan Press, said, “This initiative is all about making recycling more enjoyable and rewarding for Australians. By doing so, we aim to reduce waste and boost the supply of recycled plastic.”
The initiative is supported by environmentally-friendly bill posters, social, online video, and communications to Return and Earn’s thousands of active recyclers via their email newsletter and official website — not to mention the messaging that now appears incidentally on every Return and Earn machine in NSW.
“We’re chuffed with the seamless integration we’ve achieved with Return and Earn and their machines via TOMRA,” said Caity Cowper from Special Australia.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about a tiny waiting screen and a paper receipt, but here we are.”
Susan added, “The Return and Earn machines give us a powerful way to monitor behaviour change. We’re optimistic that they’ll drive not only an increase in the number of Pepsi containers being recycled, but also a broader uplift in recycling overall.
“This initiative is running across NSW, and we’re excited to see how it performs. If successful, we’d love to see it rolled out nationally to make an even bigger impact.”
