The 10c Recycling Games is the entry point. pleyr-x is building Australia's official behavioural incentive layer for every recoverable material stream in the circular economy.
Same points system. Same prize pool. Every recoverable material. One behavioural economy.
The Behavioural Recovery Index (BRI).
When you return a material — a can, a bag of soft plastics, an old laptop — it has a real wholesale value. That's the price a recycler would actually pay for it on the commodity market. The BRI is a formula that takes that wholesale price and converts it directly into points for the consumer.
The formula is simple: Wholesale AUD ÷ $0.10 = Points. So if aluminium is worth $1.55 per kilogram on the wholesale market, returning 1kg of aluminium earns you 15 points. Every material. Every kilogram. Priced transparently against real markets — not made up by the app.
The live feed below is a real-time demonstration of the BRI in action — showing how each material's current wholesale price translates directly into points.
Indicative wholesale AUD values. Simulated feed anchored to real market data. Actual VBU issuance uses verified settlement prices.
The Formula
Wholesale AUD ÷ $0.10 = Points
A direct, transparent conversion. No arbitrary point inflation. The commodity market sets the value — the BRI converts it.
Anchored To
Real wholesale markets
Not retail prices. Not speculative. Actual recoverable commodity value as traded between processors and remanufacturers.
Why It Matters
Points are real purchasing power
Because every point maps to a known dollar value, prize pool prizes are always backed by real commodity recovery — not app credits.
The circular economy is broken at the participation layer.
The Old Economy Was Built For
- Extraction
- Manufacturing
- Consumption
- Disposal
Not For
- Recovery
- Reuse
- Behavioural Participation
- Circular Optimisation
"Billions of dollars worth of recoverable material are discarded annually despite retaining wholesale commodity value, industrial reuse value, manufacturing value, and strategic mineral value. The issue is not a lack of infrastructure. The issue is a lack of behavioural activation."
From 10c containers
to every recoverable material.
The Container Deposit Scheme is the most direct proof that attaching a financial incentive to a recovery behaviour changes participation. But the CDS covers one stream. The behavioural principle scales to everything.
Same points. Same prize pool. Same game. Expanded to every recoverable material in Australia.
Every recoverable stream.
One points system.
These are not industrial waste streams. These are items everyday Australians own, accumulate, and eventually discard — often at cost to themselves. Each stream plugs into the same behavioural engine. The BRI handles the pricing. The game handles the motivation.
Container Deposit Scheme (CDS)
Beverage Containers · Aluminium · Glass · PET · HDPE · Cartons
The Two Value Layers
Layer 1
The 10c Deposit Refund
The guaranteed consumer incentive. Every eligible container returned via the CDS earns the consumer their 10c deposit back. This is the legislated behavioural trigger — the direct financial reward that drives the majority of CDS participation. Points are issued at a fixed rate: 10c = 10 pts, regardless of material type.
1 container returned
10c deposit = 10 pts
10 containers
$1.00 deposit value
100 containers
$10.00 — regular household bag
500 containers
$50 — active family quarter
Layer 2
The Material Commodity Value
Beyond the 10c deposit, the returned material itself has recoverable commodity value — the wholesale price the scheme earns when it sells sorted material to reprocessors. In the pleyr-x model, a portion of this flows back to the player via the BRI, on top of deposit points already earned.
Aluminium can (15g)
~$1.55/kg — highest commodity value
PET bottle (30g)
~$0.38/kg wholesale
Glass bottle (200g)
~$0.05/kg — low commodity value
HDPE bottle (50g)
~$0.42/kg wholesale
Together, these two layers make the CDS the highest-value entry point into urban mining. The 10c deposit refund is the guaranteed floor. The material commodity value is the additional BRI layer on top — proportional to the actual wholesale market price of what was returned. Aluminium earns significantly more than glass because it is worth significantly more as a recovered commodity.
Market Data
~$1.2B in annual deposits collected across all Australian CDS jurisdictions. Scheme coordinators recover the remaining material value through commodity sales to reprocessors. Combined, the CDS represents the largest existing consumer-facing circular economy financial flow in Australia.
Annual Volume
~12.1 billion eligible containers placed on market annually. Current return rate targeting 85% nationally.
Why CDS Is The Proof of Concept
The CDS proved the behavioural principle can work — a 10c incentive attached to a recovery behaviour creates measurable participation. But Australia's current CDS is failing miserably, with rates well below potential. The 10c Recycling Games unlocks this failed system by adding a gamification and rewards layer on top of the deposit — amplifying the incentive, extending it to new streams, and building the behavioural infrastructure Australia needs to scale circular participation to every household material.
The entry point to the urban mining ecosystem · Dual-layer value: deposit refund + commodity recovery
Scrap Metal
Aluminium · Copper · Steel · Iron
Market Data
IBISWorld 2025 — Australian scrap metal market (AUD, native figure)
Annual Volume
~7 million tonnes recovered annually
The Behavioural Gap
Household scrap sits in garages and sheds for years. Individual volumes feel financially pointless to move. Yet millions of Australians contributing even a few kilograms each creates enormous aggregate recoverable value. The barrier is not logistics — it is motivation.
How Points Work
Consumers bring household metals to approved collection nodes. Weight is verified. Points are calculated live using the BRI — actual wholesale commodity prices for each metal type at the time of drop-off. Every kilogram counts.
Example BRI Point Values
155 pts
1kg Aluminium
~$1.55/kg wholesale
980 pts
1kg Copper
~$9.80/kg wholesale
18 pts
1kg Steel/Iron
~$0.18/kg wholesale
varies
Mixed 5kg haul
BRI calculates per metal type
Same points system · Same prize pool · Powered by the BRI
E-Waste
Phones · Laptops · Tablets · Small Appliances
Market Data
AUD equivalent — IMARC Group, Australian e-waste recycling market 2025
Annual Volume
~600,000 tonnes of e-waste generated annually in Australia
The Behavioural Gap
Australians accumulate drawers full of old phones, cables and devices. The perceived hassle of e-waste disposal — combined with zero reward — results in critical minerals sitting dormant in millions of homes across the country. Data privacy concerns compound the hoarding.
How Points Work
Consumers drop off electronics at approved e-waste partners. Each item category carries a standardised BRI points value reflecting material recovery economics at wholesale. Items are assessed, verified, and points issued to the player's account instantly.
Example BRI Point Values
120 pts
Smartphone
Critical mineral content
200 pts
Laptop / tablet
Higher material value
30 pts
Bag of cables
Copper recovery
80 pts
Small kitchen appliance
Mixed metal/plastic
Same points system · Same prize pool · Powered by the BRI
Batteries
Household · Automotive · Lithium-Ion · EV
Market Data
Battery materials recovery contribution to Australian economy — Australian Museum / Battery Council 2025
Annual Volume
198,000+ tonnes collected at recycling centres in 2024
The Behavioural Gap
Batteries are among the most hazardous household items sent to landfill. The B-cycle scheme exists but lacks the behavioural incentive layer to drive mass participation. Most Australians have no idea they can get anything for returning batteries — because currently, they receive nothing. That is the gap.
How Points Work
Consumers drop batteries at any approved collection point — retailers, collection bins, or designated nodes. Points are issued per kilogram or per unit based on battery chemistry. Lithium-ion batteries carry significantly higher point values due to critical mineral content including lithium, cobalt, and nickel.
Example BRI Point Values
10 pts
10x AA batteries
~150g, alkaline
50 pts
Lithium laptop battery
High mineral value
60 pts
Power tool battery
Lithium-ion pack
190 pts
Car battery (~15kg)
Lead-acid recovery
Same points system · Same prize pool · Powered by the BRI
Soft Plastics
Wrappers · Bags · Film · Flexible Packaging
Market Data
Total Australian plastic recycling market AUD equivalent (IMARC 2025). Note: SPSA's $500M figure refers specifically to the stewardship scheme financial opportunity segment — the full plastic recycling market is significantly larger.
Annual Volume
546,622 tonnes of flexible plastic placed on the Australian market annually (APCO 2023)
The Behavioural Gap
Soft plastics are almost universally binned because kerbside bins don't accept them. REDcycle operated for 10 years and reached less than 2% collection rate — because there was no consumer incentive. Australia's first large-scale soft plastics recycling facility is now operational. The missing piece was always participation, not infrastructure.
How Points Work
Consumers collect soft plastics at home and drop them off at approved retail or collection partners. Bags are weighed. Points are issued per kilogram — standardised across the national network. No quality judgements on condition.
Example BRI Point Values
40 pts
1kg soft plastics
~$0.40/kg wholesale HDPE
200 pts
Full 5kg bag
Typical household bag haul
~400 pts
Monthly collection
Avg household ~10kg/month
~4,800 pts
Annual household
~120kg/year per household
Same points system · Same prize pool · Powered by the BRI
White Goods & Appliances
Fridges · Washing Machines · Ovens · TVs
Market Data
Australian household appliance market size — 360,000 tonnes of appliances discarded annually
Annual Volume
360,000 tonnes of large household appliances discarded per year (Stewardship Excellence, 2024)
The Behavioural Gap
White goods currently cost the consumer to dispose of. Council collections are infrequent. Private removal services charge fees. Yet every fridge, washing machine and oven contains significant recoverable steel, copper, aluminium and refrigerants. The consumer bears the disposal cost and receives nothing. This is the clearest example of the behavioural gap.
How Points Work
When a consumer disposes of an old appliance through an approved collection partner or retailer take-back scheme, points are issued to their account automatically. The BRI determines the point value by appliance type and approximate material composition. No consumer effort beyond booking a collection or dropping it off.
Example BRI Point Values
400 pts
Washing machine
~40kg steel + motor copper
500 pts
Fridge / freezer
Steel, copper coil, refrigerant
150 pts
Television
Mixed materials, circuit boards
280 pts
Oven / cooktop
Steel + wiring
Same points system · Same prize pool · Powered by the BRI
Textiles & Clothing
Clothing · Linens · Fabric · Workwear
Market Data
Australian textile recycling market, AUD — growing sector with minimal current incentive layer
Annual Volume
220,000 tonnes of clothing and textiles sent to Australian landfill annually (Seamless Australia)
The Behavioural Gap
Australians discard over 220,000 tonnes of clothing to landfill every year — one of the highest per capita rates in the world. Charity bins only capture wearable items. Damaged or worn textiles have no consumer return pathway and zero incentive. This is one of the most underserved and highest-volume household recovery streams in Australia.
How Points Work
Consumers bring bags of textiles — wearable or not — to approved drop-off points. Textiles are weighed. Points are issued per kilogram regardless of condition. Any textile qualifies. This removes every quality-based barrier to participation and opens the stream to genuine mass volume recovery.
Example BRI Point Values
30 pts
1kg textiles (any)
Condition irrelevant
90 pts
Full bag (~3kg)
Typical donation bag
240 pts
Wardrobe clear-out (~8kg)
Seasonal participation
~660 pts
Annual household
~22kg discarded per person/yr
Same points system · Same prize pool · Powered by the BRI
Verified Behavioural Units.
Proof that a real person did a real thing.
A VBU is simply a verified record that a real consumer completed a real action — worth exactly 10c. It doesn't matter whether that action was returning a bottle, engaging with a brand campaign, or completing a learning interaction. Every verified action = 1 VBU = $0.10 = 10 points. That's it. Simple, fixed, and auditable.
Verified Behavioural Unit
Fixed economic value
Consumer-facing currency
This is a locked economic structure. 10c = 10 points = 1 VBU. Always. Everywhere in the ecosystem.
Where VBUs are issued.
VBUs cover two distinct worlds — physical material recovery and consumer behaviour. Both priced at 10c per verified action.
Material Recovery (CDS + Urban Mining)
- Container returns (10c CDS = 1 VBU)
- Scrap metal drop-offs (BRI-priced per kg)
- E-waste returns (BRI item rates)
- Battery collection (BRI per kg/unit)
- Soft plastics (BRI per kg)
- White goods / appliances (BRI item rates)
- Textiles (BRI per kg)
Consumer Behaviour (pleyr-x Ecosystem)
- Campaign participation (10c per verified action)
- Completing a pleylist
- Verified brand engagement
- Learning and educational interactions
- Product discovery and offer engagement
- Verified purchase and transaction actions
- Loyalty and repeat participation behaviours
The Brand Economy
Brands purchase VBUs. Not ads. Verified behaviour.
Brands do not buy impressions in the pleyr-x ecosystem. They purchase Verified Behavioural Units — standardised units of confirmed consumer participation. A brand purchasing 1,000,000 VBUs is acquiring 1,000,000 verified circular actions, each recorded and auditable. This is the foundation of the world's first consumer behaviour economy.
Campaigns
VBUs fund player prize pools
Engagement
10c per verified brand interaction
Sustainability
VBUs = real ESG evidence
Activation
Retail, events, digital, in-store
Why this works.
The structural principles underpinning pleyr-x as Australia's behavioural layer for the circular economy.
The circular economy already has infrastructure.
Australia has recycling facilities, processors, commodity markets and stewardship schemes. The missing layer is not physical. It is behavioural. People do not participate because there is no compelling reason to.
overall material recycling rate in Australia — yet participation is voluntary and unrewarded
Most waste is not waste. It is unclaimed commodity value.
Every recoverable item was purchased by someone, entered the consumer economy, and retained residual material value. When a person returns a recoverable item, they are effectively reselling recoverable commodity value back into the circular economy.
estimated value of recoverable materials lost to Australian landfill and informal disposal annually
Waste is not the problem. Unrewarded recovery behaviour is.
The infrastructure exists. The regulations exist. The processing capacity exists. What does not exist is a nationally coordinated incentive layer that rewards the individual for their participation. pleyr-x is that layer.
soft plastics recycling rate after 10 years of REDcycle — no incentive = no behaviour change
The 10c Recycling Games is the proof of concept at national scale.
The CDS demonstrated that when a financial incentive is attached to a recovery behaviour — even a small one — participation increases dramatically. The 10c deposit drove a national behavioural shift. pleyr-x extends this exact insight across every recoverable material stream in Australia.
container return rate target — already proven achievable when the incentive is right
Recoverable value becomes
the prize pool.
CDS Prize Pool
Built on the Container Deposit Scheme. Unclaimed deposits, brand partnerships, and CDS participation fund the base prize pool. The 10c Recycling Games is the proof of concept.
Urban Mining Layers
Every new material stream adds commodity recovery value to the prize pool. Scrap metal, batteries, e-waste, plastics, appliances, textiles — each stream layers on top of the CDS foundation.
Behavioural Economy
As millions of Australians participate across every stream, aggregate commodity value creates a self-sustaining behavioural economy — where recovery behaviour is always rewarded.
The value already exists. The participation does not.
pleyr-x does not create new value. It unlocks value already sitting in Australian households and redirects a portion of it back to consumers — through verified participation, points, and prize pool access.
Australia's official behavioural
incentive layer for the circular economy.
pleyr-x is not a campaign. It is not an app. It is infrastructure — a nationally coordinated participation engine sitting between Australians and every recoverable material stream, making circular participation easy, rewarding, and culturally normal.
Governments
Set recovery targets. pleyr-x drives voluntary participation to meet them — without mandates, penalties, or compliance burden.
Brands
Fund participation through campaigns and behavioural activation — purchasing VBUs as verified units of consumer circular behaviour.
Citizens
Engage voluntarily. Return materials. Earn points. Participate in the prize pool. No guilt. No lectures. Just incentives and gameplay.
Industry
Receive verified, consumer-sourced material streams at scale — improving recovery quality, volume, and predictability.
This is not forced compliance.
Voluntary participation. Driven by incentives, gameplay, education, and cultural normalisation.
The core statements.
Waste is not the problem. Unrewarded recovery behaviour is.
Most waste is not waste. It is unclaimed commodity value.
The circular economy is broken at the participation layer.
The future of sustainability is incentivised participation.
Every recoverable item is a behavioural input into the circular economy.
Australia does not have a recycling problem. It has an incentive problem.
Recoverable materials are dormant economic assets.
The value already exists. The participation does not.
Behaviour is the infrastructure layer underneath the circular economy.
The circular economy needs a participation engine.
Every return is a verified economic action.
Recycling becomes entertainment, participation, identity, and opportunity.
The behavioural economy is the missing layer between people and sustainability.
pleyr-x is that layer. Starting with the 10c Recycling Games. Expanding to every recoverable material stream. Building Australia's circular economy from the participation up.
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