How points work

Walking or riding, a shorter shower, lights off, volunteering and bringing your own bags score only when you give the kilometres, minutes, hours or number of bags.

When a photo is checked, each rubbish count is the lower of what you report and what the checker can see. A post counts up to 200 items and earns up to 300 points.

Only public posts with a photo that our checker could see count towards the community board. Private and photo-free posts still count for you.

You can also take part without an account: quiet acts count.

Sources

Every figure behind the points and the plain-English comparisons, quoted as each page read on the day.

• Cost-competitiveness of PET, aluminium and glass beverage containers (study by Wood Mackenzie) International Aluminium Institute. Read 27 September 2026.
  • "A standard (most common) container type for each material in each region was selected." Container sizes – ml: Aluminium 330. "Mass per 1,000 containers – kg": Aluminium 13.
  • "A standard (most common) container type for each material in each region was selected." Container sizes – ml: PET 500. "Mass per 1,000 containers – kg": PET 24.
  • "A standard (most common) container type for each material in each region was selected." Container sizes – ml: Glass 330. "Mass per 1,000 containers – kg": Glass 190.
• Documentation for Greenhouse Gas Emission and Energy Factors Used in the Waste Reduction Model (WARM), Management Practices Chapters, WARM version 16 (December 2023) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Read 27 September 2026.
  • Exhibit 2-2: Emission Factor for Recycling (MTCO2E/Short Ton of Material Recovered), column "GHG Reductions from Using Recycled Inputs Instead of Virgin Inputs": Aluminum Cans (9.13).
  • Exhibit 2-2: Emission Factor for Recycling (MTCO2E/Short Ton of Material Recovered), column "GHG Reductions from Using Recycled Inputs Instead of Virgin Inputs": PET (1.04).
  • Exhibit 2-2: Emission Factor for Recycling (MTCO2E/Short Ton of Material Recovered), column "GHG Reductions from Using Recycled Inputs Instead of Virgin Inputs": Glass (0.28).
• Aluminium recycling saves 95% of the energy needed for primary aluminium production International Aluminium Institute. Read 27 September 2026.
  • "Aluminium recycling saves 95% of the energy needed for primary aluminium production." "In 2019, the primary energy consumption for global primary aluminium production, from mine to cast house, was 186 gigajoules per tonne. In contrast, the primary energy demand for recycled aluminium was 8.3 gigajoules per tonne, resulting in a significant energy saving (95.5%)."
• Light Vehicle Emissions Intensity in Australia: Trends Over Time (published 8 December 2025) National Transport Commission. Read 27 September 2026.
  • "Our report shows that across the light vehicle fleet, the average emissions intensity has fallen to 190.8 g/km – a 1.5 per cent reduction from the year before." "The data in this report reflects tailpipe emissions."
• National Greenhouse Accounts Factors 2026, Table 1 (location-based scope 2 and scope 3 electricity factors) Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Read 27 September 2026.
  • Table 1 "Indirect (scope 2 and scope 3) location-based emission factors associated with the consumption and losses of purchased or acquired electricity": National, Scope 2 Emission Factors (kg CO2-e/kWh) 0.59.
• Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator – Calculations and References: Number of smartphones charged U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Read 27 September 2026.
  • "[28.446 Wh – (22 hours x 0.411 Watts)] x 1 kWh/1,000 Wh = 0.019 kWh/smartphone charged"
• What WELS star ratings mean Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) scheme, Australian Government. Read 27 September 2026.
  • Minimum water efficiency requirements for new build plumbing installations: "Showers – at least 3 stars (≤9 litres per minute)".
• Switch and save Energy Rating (Australian Government). Read 27 September 2026.
  • Switch and Save chart, general lights: a "9W LED Globe Base Level" gives 800 lumens, against 685 for a "60W Incandescent Globe (mains voltage)".
• Containers for Change WA Containers for Change WA. Read 27 September 2026.
  • "Most drink containers between 150ml and 3L are eligible for a 10¢ refund."
• Bin Your Butt Keep Australia Beautiful WA, Western Australian Government. Read 27 September 2026.
  • "Cigarette butts are still the most commonly littered item in WA. In 2024-25, the Australian Litter Measure found that 21.5 percent of all litter found was cigarette butts."
• Can marine debris degrade on its own in the environment? NOAA National Ocean Service. Read 27 September 2026.
  • "Human-made products are not completely biodegradable. These products will take a long time, possibly hundreds of years, to degrade."
  • "Some products such as glass never degrade."
• The Mystery of How Long Until It’s Gone NOAA Marine Debris Program. Read 27 September 2026.
  • "In fact, some plastics may fragment into tinier and tinier pieces, and never fully go away." "Plastics of all types, even some that are labeled as biodegradable, could stay in the ocean and Great Lakes for an indefinite amount of time."