Pepsi rethinks recycling via Special Australia

25 September 2025
 

Creative Agency: Special
Media Agency: PHD Network

1 0
Earn an additional $50,000, $10,000, $1000, or $100 on top of the normal 10c refund.

Pepsi, with Special Australia, today unveiled ‘The Recycling Rethink’, a campaign to incentivise the recycling of bottles and cans.

From now until November 22, anyone who recycles a Pepsi container at any Return and Earn machine in NSW will have the opportunity to earn an additional $50,000, $10,000, $1000, or $100 on top of the normal 10c refund.

“The Recycling Rethink started with a simple enough question: If you could earn more for recycling a Pepsi, wouldn’t you recycle Pepsi more?” says Alastair Flack & Mark Starmach, from Special Australia.

“Typically, the data recognised by this barcode scanner is only used to validate an eligible container. 

“But now, whenever an eligible Pepsi barcode is detected, it will also automatically trigger the printing of a special voucher at the end of the recycler’s session, in addition to the normal 10c refund voucher. When the unique QR code on it is scanned, it’ll instantly say if they’ve earned anything extra.”

Susan Press, marketing director beverages at PepsiCo ANZ, said the initiative is all about making recycling more enjoyable and rewarding for Australians.

"By doing so, we aim to reduce waste and boost the supply of recycled plastic,” she said. 

The initiative is supported by environmentally-friendly bill posters, social, online video.

CREDITS

 

Client: Pepsico

PepsiCo ANZ Marketing Director Beverages: Susan Press

PepsiCo ANZ Marketing Manager CSDs: Tom Floyd

PepsiCo ANZ Senior Brand Manager CSDs: Maya Birve

 

Agency: Special Australia

Partners/CEO: Lindsey Evans & Cade Heyde

Partners/CCO: Julian Schreiber & Tom Martin

Partner/CSO: Dave Hartmann

Group Creative Director: Max McKeon

Senior Creatives: Mark Starmach and Alastair Flack

Creative Technologist: Laurent Marcus

Team Lead: Caity Cowper and Michelle Braslin

Senior Business Director: Maddie Armstrong

Senior Business Manager: Stephanie Cheung

Strategy Director: Heather Morrison

National Head of Production: Tash Johnson

Integrated Producer: Will Sealey

Production Coordinator: Ada Tuna

Creative Services Manager: Kristie Dagg and Lucy Walker

 

Production Co: Special Made

Motion Graphics: Rob Summons

CGI / Retouching: Nick Mueller

Editor: Ollie Knocker

Finished Art: Jen Bailey

Music: Mosaic Music & Sound

 

Media Agency: PHD/Trio

Planning Manager: Grace Parsons

Media Implementation Account Director: Mikeah Irving

Media Implementation Account Executive: Tasnia Sheikh

Media Implementation Account Manager: George Grigoriou

Media Implementation Account Executive: Anna Wiebe

Media Implementation Account Director: Agne Staraite

 

The Live Agency

 

Return and Earn Scheme partners

Exchange for Change

TOMRA Cleanaway

TOMRA Collection

NSW State Government

Latest Campaigns

comments powered by Disqus