More than 650,000 customer calls handled since 2017 have given TOMRA Cleanaway a dataset that reaches well beyond bottle-and-can logistics, according to the joint venture between reverse vending supplier TOMRA and Australian waste operator Cleanaway.

The figure covers the company's dedicated Customer Service Centre, which operates 363 days a year from 7am to 10pm daily, serving the Return and Earn network in New South Wales since 2017, plus Victoria's west zone and Tasmania. The company disclosed the milestone and its operational findings in a statement to Waste Management Review.

What do the calls actually capture?

"Customer service is the narrative of the consumers in the field," said Michelle Mandl, General Manager – Communications, Customer and Engagement at TOMRA Cleanaway. "Their experience of the return point network is reflected back to our service providers and managed by us centrally at TOMRA Cleanaway every day."

She added: "So, we will know when there is an issue in the field. If our service providers haven't noticed the concern, our customer service team will know because they are the heartbeat of what consumers are saying."

The inquiry mix is anchored in transactional questions, with container eligibility the most common topic. Call volumes rise when scheme rules change — for example, expansions in Queensland and Western Australia that opened the schemes to wine and spirit bottles, or when consumers are uncertain whether newly eligible beverages can be returned.

What material trends does the data show?

The service data tracks a measurable shift in the container stream. Over the life of the New South Wales scheme, glass returns have declined while aluminium has become more prominent. Mandl said the trend mirrors broader changes in beverage packaging and consumer purchasing patterns.

The call and return data also maps behavioral variation across jurisdictions:

• In New South Wales, returns tend to occur earlier in the day; Victorian users become more active later.
• Saturdays and Sundays consistently record the highest participation rates.
• Summer is the busiest period, tracking higher beverage consumption in warmer months.
• Long weekends and major events such as the AFL grand final and the Melbourne Cup generate smaller spikes in returns.

One trend holds across all states: a growing preference for digital refunds. Mandl said consumers are increasingly choosing direct electronic payments over vouchers — a shift with direct implications for how operators configure payment infrastructure at return points.

Why does the refund stream matter beyond recycling?

Mandl said the customer service record provides insight into why households participate and what role refunds play in household budgets. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, callers described relying on container refunds to support their families when other income options were limited. Some of the network's busiest areas during lockdowns were among the hardest-hit communities, she said.

"I went into container deposit schemes thinking this was a specialised waste service, and it was a specialised recycling service more specifically," Mandl said. "I think what we have really uncovered is that it's so much more than that, and the service means so much more to the community than we probably realise."

The company cited one long-running case in the Wollongong region, where a resident known for container recycling used his refunds to fundraise for a local hospital. Staff familiarity grew to the point that the team knew when he was in hospital and checked on his wellbeing.

How does the service model work operationally?

TOMRA Cleanaway links its customer service representatives directly to operational teams. Staff can view live network activity, speak with field teams, and provide real-time assistance — meaning issues are often identified as they occur rather than logged as complaints and processed later. The company frames this integrated structure as the mechanism that lets it pair operational oversight with community engagement.

Mandl's summary of nearly a decade of interactions: "The scheme are beloved by the community, and deliver on such high levels. Social outcomes, environmental outcomes, and economic outcomes; it really is the grand trifecta of achievement in so many ways."

The next data points to watch are the ongoing scheme expansions — including the Queensland and Western Australia eligibility changes now working through the return network — and whether the shift from glass to aluminium and from vouchers to digital refunds continues across all three jurisdictions TOMRA Cleanaway operates in.