At Ginkan Judo School, discipline, teamwork and community are values practised both on and off the mat. 

Now, thanks to Recycle Rewards, the club has found another way to bring those values to life – by turning eligible drink containers into important funds that strengthen the club and support its members.  

Armed with container collection bags, Ginkan Judo School encourages its members, families and the wider community to save their eligible drink containers and bring them to the club. They’ve also asked their community to set their campaign as their preferred payout method, which facilitates direct donations whenever you return your containers to a Recycle Rewards reverse vending machine.   

Sensei Terry Hjort has also canvassed local businesses to help out. Mance Electrical collects and donates their containers, and a donation point at the Sidmouth General Store provides a convenient way for the broader community to support the club, just by putting their empty drink containers in the dedicated container bin out front.  

The school promotes their collection effort through Facebook, their website and regular e-newsletters – regularly reiterating that they’re collecting containers to raise funds so that they can help their young athletes participate in interstate competitions. A Judo demonstration at the local Exeter show provided another opportunity collect containers and ask for donations.  

While 10 cents might not sound like much, small amounts add up quick. In their first year collecting containers, Ginkan Judo School raised $700, which they used to help their athletes cover the costs of flights and accommodation so that they can attend interstate competitions (and bring home a swag of medals, too!).  

Community members Mary Feely and Jade Wang say that the fundraising efforts makes a real difference to their household budgets, noting that many other sports don’t provide any funding to help young athletes get to competitions.   

Ginkan Judo School’s experience demonstrates how Recycle Rewards can help community organisations maximise the impact of their fundraising efforts. Every bottle, can and carton returned is kept out of litter and landfill and given another opportunity to become a valuable resource. In addition to the funds raised, collecting and returning eligible drink containers to Recycle Rewards refund points also reduces emissions, energy and water use.