Recycling scheme expands to include home collection

Avid recyclers no longer need to cart bags, boxes or bins of plastic and glass bottles to their nearest recycling centre for a 10-cent refund, with Containers for Change now offering a home collection service.

A number of Moreton Bay suburbs are eligible for the free service, which was launched recently.

This is in addition to the existing services where people can collect their refunds, including at depots, bag drops, reverse vending machines and pop-ups.

COEX is the non-profit organisation that implements the Containers for Change scheme.

Acting CEO Virginie Marley says Queenslanders have been recycling in record numbers, with 7 per cent more containers refunded last month compared to June last year.

“We are continuing to expand with more refund points across Queensland, there are now more than 360 refund points, so more communities than ever before can be part of environmental and economic change,” she said.

Containers for Change was introduced on November 1, 2018, to help reduce litter across the state.

How it works

Residents in the below suburbs must have a minimum of 100 eligible containers to qualify for home collection.

Most aluminium, glass, plastic, steel and liquid paperboard beverage containers between 150ml and 3L are eligible for a 10-cent refund.

Excluded containers include:

• Plain milk containers of all sizes including plant-based milk substitutes
• Glass containers that contained wine or pure spirits
• Containers 1L or more that contained flavoured milk, pure fruit or vegetable juice, cask wine or cask water
• Concentrated/undiluted cordial or syrup containers
• Sachets above 250ml that have contained wine
• Registered health tonics

Once a person has the minimum number of containers for collection, they can sign up for a scheme ID and then book a day and time for collection.

Once your appointment has been confirmed, you will need to label your bags with your scheme ID and then leave them in a safe place which can easily be accessed on collection day.

The bags are then taken to a depot for counting and you will receive your refund via PayPal or bank transfer.

Containers for Change, Queensland’s container refund scheme, was introduced on 1 November 2018 to help clean up our state.

See if your suburb is eligible 

The Container Collect service is currently being offered in the following suburbs:

4019:

Clontarf, Margate and Woody Point

4020:

Redcliffe, Scarborough and Newport

4021:

Kippa-Ring

4022:

Rothwell

4035:

Albany Creek and Bridgeman Downs only

4036:

Bald Hills only

4037:

Eatons Hill only

4054:

Arana Hills

4500:

All suburbs

4501:

Lawnton only

4502:

Petrie only

4503:

Kallangur, Dakabin, Griffin, Kurwongbah, Murrumba Downs and Whiteside only

4504:

Narangba only

4505:

Burpengary and Burpengary East only

4506:

Morayfield only

4507:

Banksia Beach, Bellara, Bongaree, White Patch and Woorim

4508:

Deception Bay only

4509:

Mango Hill and North Lakes only

4510:

Bellmere, Caboolture, Caboolture South, Upper Caboolture, Beachmere, Donnybrook, Meldale, Moodlu, Rocksberg and Toorbul only

4511:

Godwin Beach, Ningi and Sandstone Point only

4512:

Wamuran, Bracalba and Wamuran Basin only

4514:

Cedarton, D'Aguilar, Delaneys Creek, Mount Delaney, Neurum, Stanmore, Stony Creek and Woodford

4516:

Elimbah only

4520:

Armstrong Creek, Camp Mountain, Closeburn, Draper, Highvale, Kobble Creek, Mount Nebo, Mount Samson, Samford Valley, Samford Village, Samsonvale, Wights Mountain, Yugar, Cedar Creek and Samford

4521:

Dayboro, King Scrub, Laceys Creek, Mount Pleasant, Ocean View, Rush Creek