Calculations for the Impact Calculator are based on findings of an independent life cycle assessment (LCA) of eligible drink containers returned at Recycle Rewards refund points, reverse vending machines and depots, across Tasmania. Calculations are based on statewide average results.
The LCA, Life Cycle Assessment of Tasmania’s Container Refund Scheme was conducted by Boyden A., and Visser R.K, Lifecycles Australia. The final report was provided to TasRecycle on 23 January 2026.
The LCA has been peer reviewed by Blue Environment in January 2026. The review has been performed to provide assurance of the integrity of the LCA and its results.
See full report here:
Tasmania Container Refund Scheme LCA 2026
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) FAQs
What is a life cycle assessment?
A life cycle assessment (LCA) is a method for estimating environmental impacts such as carbon emissions, energy use and water use from the creation of a product, to its disposal. This is often described as “cradle to grave”.
Who conducted the life cycle assessment?
Recycle Rewards’ life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted by Lifecycles – an Australian provider of sustainability measurements, LCA and circular economy consulting. Their assessment was independently peer reviewed by Blue Environment – an Australian environmental consulting company specialising in strategic advisory services.
How did you calculate the energy, water and carbon savings in the life cycle assessment?
Recycle Rewards’ LCA adheres to the framework and principles for life cycle assessments in the international standard ISO 14040:2006 Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Principles and framework.
Recycle Rewards’ LCA estimates the environmental impacts from consumers returning containers to refund points through sorting, transport and recycling. These impacts are then compared with the impacts avoided when recycled materials displace virgin or new materials used to make containers.
If the result is negative, it indicates a net environmental benefit. These results represent the benefits attributable to the material recovery delivered by the Recycle Rewards network.
To make the results easier to understand, Scheme Coordinator TasRecycle has converted them from technical units for climate impact (kg CO2-eq*), fossil energy use (MJ) and water use (litres) into familiar equivalents such as hours of television watched and minutes spent showering.
*Note: CO2-eq considers the impact all greenhouse gas emissions and then expresses this as the weight of carbon dioxide equivalent to the total of all greenhouse gases.