How the 10c Recycling
Games Actually Works
This is the definitive guide to the 10c Recycling Games — from your first container to your first prize draw. Eight steps. No jargon. No gaps. Everything you need to understand the full journey.
10 pts
per container
100 pts
per 10 containers
Spend points
to enter prize draws — weekly, monthly & mega
Instant wins
playable with points anytime
The Full Journey — Step by Step
Follow the path from joining to earning, returning, playing and giving. Click 'Show key points' on any step for the detail.
STEP 1
Join the Games
Free to join. Takes 60 seconds.
Sign up to the 10c Recycling Games through the app or website. Create your player profile, choose your favourite charitable cause, and link your preferred container return method. There are no fees, no subscriptions, and no catches — joining is completely free.
STEP 2
Collect Your Containers
Any eligible beverage container. Every single one counts.
Start saving your eligible beverage containers instead of putting them in general recycling or landfill. Cans, bottles, cartons — any container eligible under your state's Container Deposit Scheme. The more you save, the more you earn. There is no minimum — you can return one container at a time or accumulate a bag-full before heading to a refund point.
STEP 3
Return & Choose the Games
At any participating refund point — this is the key step.
Take your containers to any participating CDS refund point — a reverse vending machine, a collection depot, a drop-and-go facility, or a home collection service. When prompted to select your refund destination, choose the 10c Recycling Games. This is the moment your container return activates the system.
STEP 4
Earn Your Points
10 points. Every container. Every time.
For every eligible container you return through the Games pathway, you earn 10 points. No expiry. No minimums. No tiers to unlock before you start earning. Points are your currency — you spend them to enter prize draws and play instant win games.
10 pts
1 container
100 pts
10 containers
500 pts
50 containers
1,000 pts
100 containers
STEP 5
Spend Points — Enter Prize Draws
Multiple draws every week and month. Prizes ranging up to millions of dollars.
Points are your game currency. Spend them to enter any of the prize draws running across the Games — from weekly draws with thousands of dollars in prizes, to monthly draws and the nationally significant Mega Draw with prize pools in the millions. You choose which draws to enter and how many points to spend. The more you return, the more you earn, and the more draws you can enter.
Low pts
Weekly draw
Mid pts
Monthly draw
High pts
Mega Draw
Millions
Prize pool
STEP 6
Play Instant Win Games
Spend points on custom recycling-themed games — any time, any day.
Alongside prize draws, you can spend your points on custom instant win games whenever you like. These are original games designed around recycling, sustainability and environmental themes — built by us, compliant with all applicable legislation. Play and get an immediate result right now — no waiting for a draw event. Real prizes, real outcomes: gift cards, vouchers, physical rewards, and charitable donations.
STEP 7
Choose Your Cause
Your returns fund more than prizes.
A portion of every container returned through the Games pathway is allocated to the charitable fund. Players choose their preferred cause from our network of community and environmental partner organisations. You can change your chosen cause at any time, or split your charitable allocation across multiple organisations. This is not a token gesture — the charitable fund scales directly with participation and is independently reported.
STEP 8
The Loop Keeps Going
This is the design — it never stops working.
The 10c Recycling Games is not a one-off campaign or a time-limited promotion. It is a permanent behaviour change architecture. Every container returned generates points. Every point spent — on draws or instant win games — reinforces the habit. Every draw event creates anticipation for the next return trip. The loop is self-reinforcing — the longer a player is in it, the more embedded the return habit becomes.
It's Directly Powered by Your Returns.
When you return a container and choose the 10c Recycling Games, something real happens to your 10c. Here is exactly what.
You return a container
at any CDS refund point
Coordinator processes it
within existing CDS framework
10c flows to us
from coordinator to Gamified Technologies
Split three ways
prize pool · charity · operations
You earn & win
points · prize draws · instant wins
~75%
Prize Pool
Goes to the Mega Draw and instant win prize pools. The more players, the bigger the prize.
~15%
Philanthropy
Allocated to causes weekly and monthly through both company and player selections.
~10%
Operations
Platform, operations and regulatory compliance costs — minimised and transparently disclosed. Actual allocations published quarterly.
Allocation percentages are indicative and subject to adjustment as the Games scale. Actual allocations will be published quarterly. All prize draws and instant win games will be conducted in compliance with applicable Australian trade promotion lottery and gaming legislation, including obtaining all required state and territory permits prior to launch. No draws are currently active — this describes a proposed framework in EOI phase.
Try the Simulator
See exactly how the return process works. Choose your refund method, deposit your containers, and experience the Games flow first-hand.
National Prize Pool — Live
Funded by container returns and unclaimed refunds. Select Play the Recycling Games below to convert your containers into points — and compete for your chance to win.
Containers In
5,200,001,312
through the Games
Annual Prize Pool
$520,000,131
and growing
Weekly Prize Pool
$10,000,000
every single week
Step 1 — Choose what to do with your refund *
Step 2 — Return your containers(RVM shown for simulation — all return methods are eligible)
Cans Deposited
0/10
Refund Value
$0.00
Available to Return (10)— click or drag to deposit
Reverse Vending Machine
Click to deposit all
This Works for Everyone in the System
The 10c Recycling Games is designed so that every stakeholder gets something real from it. Here is what that looks like for each audience.
Consumers
You get real prizes for something you were already doing, or should be doing. Your returns fund the causes you care about. The experience is simple, free, and genuinely rewarding.
Charities & Community Organisations
You receive a sustainable, scalable revenue stream directly funded by millions of container returns. No grant applications. No dependency on government cycles. Real money, tied to a growing national participation base.
CDS Coordinators
Your return rate goes up. The Games operate within your existing framework. You receive quarterly performance data. You meet your legislated targets faster and with less friction.
Government
A legislated 85% return rate target is within reach through a self-funding, market-driven behaviour change model. No ongoing subsidy required beyond initial EOI phase co-investment.
Sponsors & Partners
Access to a nationally engaged, environmentally motivated audience. Authentic brand integration into the Games — genuine social purpose and measurable impact.
Media
A genuinely novel story: a self-funded, game-mechanics-driven approach to solving a policy problem that governments, academics and advocacy groups have failed to crack for decades.
The Behaviour Loop — Why It Keeps Working
Traditional recycling campaigns rely on awareness and guilt. They plateau quickly. The 10c Recycling Games is built differently — on reinforcement, anticipation, and community.
Return
Player returns containers. Immediate action with immediate reward.
Reward
Points credited instantly. Spend them on draws or instant wins. Anticipation activated.
Play
Custom recycling-themed instant win game available anytime. Keeps engagement strong between draws.
Repeat
Draw events create a reason to return again. The loop restarts stronger.
The Science Behind the Design
Variable ratio reinforcement is the most powerful form of behaviour conditioning known to psychology. When the reward is uncertain but consistently possible, behaviour becomes highly persistent. This is the architecture behind every successful sustained engagement system — and it is why the instant win game mechanic is essential, not optional.
Immediate feedback loops — seeing your points balance increase in real time — create a dopamine response that fixed financial rewards (a 10c credit you never see) do not. The gap between action and visible reward is the reason most traditional incentive schemes plateau.
Social identity and community — leaderboards, team draws, charity alignment — transform an individual transaction into participation in something larger. Research consistently shows that when behaviour becomes part of a person's social identity ('I am someone who recycles'), it is far more durable than behaviour driven purely by financial reward.
Common Questions
Do I need to change where I return containers?
No. You use exactly the same refund points you already use. The only change is selecting 'the 10c Recycling Games' as your refund destination instead of cash or an existing charity option.
What if my state doesn't have the Games yet?
The Games are rolling out state by state. Register your interest now — your registration contributes to the case for coordinator adoption in your jurisdiction.
Can I still donate to charity?
Absolutely. The charitable dimension is built into the Games. A portion of every return goes to your chosen cause automatically — you don't need to choose between prizes and giving.
What happens to my points if I miss a draw?
Nothing. Points never expire while your account is active. There are multiple draws running every week and month — if you miss one, simply spend your points on the next. There is no penalty for sitting one out.
Is there a cost to play instant win games?
Instant win games cost points, not money. There is no additional cash cost at any stage. You earn points by returning containers and use them to play — the system is entirely self-contained.
How do I know the prize pool is real?
The prize pool is funded directly by container returns through the scheme — it is not discretionary or dependent on sponsorship. The current prize pool value is published in real time on the platform. Independent quarterly reporting confirms all allocations.
Meet the People Behind the 10c Recycling Games
Learn about the team, vision, and mission driving the largest behavioural experiment in Australia.
Important Legal Disclaimer
Please read and acknowledge these terms before continuing.