Queensland’s Containers for Change scheme has achieved a remarkable milestone, with a staggering eight billion drink containers returned since its inception.
Environment Minister Leanne Linard and Container Exchange CEO Natalie Roach gathered at the Community Co Recycling Depot in Windsor, Brisbane, to commemorate this monumental achievement.
Launched in November 2018 by the Miles Government, the Containers for Change scheme incentivizes recycling by offering a 10-cent refund for eligible drink containers.
Since its introduction, the scheme has witnessed exponential growth, reaching this latest milestone in just six months following the return of the seven billionth container in September 2023, the government revealed in a media release.
January marked another significant triumph for the initiative, with a record-breaking 175,805,461 containers returned, surpassing the previous record set in January 2023.
A crucial moment in the scheme’s evolution occurred in November 2023 when it expanded to include glass wine and spirit bottles, marking an Australian-first initiative.
Since then, there has been a notable 13.5 per cent increase in the quantity of glass bottles returned, underscoring the program’s adaptability and effectiveness.
Importantly, Queenslanders who have participated in the scheme have collectively received $800 million in refunds, with approximately $12 million distributed to charities and community groups.
This not only incentivizes recycling but also fosters community engagement and support for worthy causes.
Minister Linard, stated that she had been informed that eight billion containers translate to 400,000 tonnes of waste, and if laid end to end, they would wrap around Earth’s equator 35 times.
“This is a phenomenal amount of waste that has been diverted from landfill and instead recycled and reused thanks to our Containers for Change scheme. This is great news for our unique natural environment.
She expressed her excitement regarding the continuous growth of the container refund scheme and commended Queenslanders for their ongoing participation.
The minister affirmed the Miles Government’s commitment to further expanding the scheme, collaborating with the board and CEO of Container Exchange on innovative ideas to boost container recycling rates.
Meanwhile, Natalie Roach, CEO of Container Exchange, praised Queenslanders for their dedication to container recycling, noting the return of over 8 billion containers since 2018.
“With Containers for Change now including glass wine and spirit bottles, more and more Queenslanders are taking part. In fact, this past summer we have seen record container volumes returned, further underscoring the positive impact of Containers for Change,” Roach remarked.
She also encouraged individuals to embark on their container collecting journey, emphasizing the convenience of the Containers for Change app for tracking refunds and selecting preferred refund points from various options such as depots, 24-hour bag drops, self-serve reverse vending machine kiosks, and free home collection.
