Calculate your impact
Welcome to the ACT Container Deposit Scheme Impact Calculator. This interactive tool will let you see the water, energy and landfill savings you make when you recycle your eligible containers through the scheme.
How we calculate
Calculations for the Impact Calculator are based on findings of a lifecycle analysis (LCA) of drink containers returned at Return and Earn return points across NSW. The LCA was conducted by Boyden, A., Berenyi, T. & Grant, T., (2022), Lifecycles Australia, with the final report provided on 14th July 2022.
The full report can be viewed here The LCA has been peer reviewed by an independent practitioner (Kyle O’Farrell, Envisage Works, 22 July 2022) as stated in ISO 14044 Clauses 6.1 and 6.2. The review has been performed to provide assurance of the credibility of the LCA and its results.
For every 1000 containers collected across ACT
Water savings
6686 litres
Energy savings
1151 megajoules
Landfill saving
68.9 kilograms
Carbon emissions avoided
145 kg of CO2e
Data sources
Average mass of eligible drink container = 68.9g. Source: Source: Boyden, A., Berenyi, T. & Grant, T., (p14, 2022)
Did you know all plastic and glass bottles you return are recycled into new containers right here in Australia? Source: Scheme Coordinator, Exchange for Change, More information: https://actcds.org.au/what-happens-to-your-containers/
It takes less water to make a recycled drink container than it does to make a new one with raw materials Source: Boyden, A., Berenyi, T. & Grant, T., (p22, 2022)
Making glass from recycled materials requires only 40% of the energy needed to make glass from new materials. Source: Cleanaway https://cleanaway2stor.blob.core.windows.net/cleanaway2-blob-container/2020/06/Glass.pdf
Aluminium can be recycled endlessly without losing quality...much better than sitting in the ground and decomposing for centuries! Source: Scheme coordinator, Exchange for Change. More information: https://actcds.org.au/what-happens-to-your-containers/
Based on 2021 Snapshot of Australian Capital Territory Source: https://www.abs.gov.au/articles/snapshot-act-2021
Garbage truck capacity is based on an Australian rear lift truck with a payload capacity of 9.5 tonnes Source: https://waster.com.au/australian-garbage-trucks/
