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Containers for Change is all about reducing litter and increasing Queensland’s recycling rates. The scheme aims to incentivise recycling by offering a 10 cent refund for every eligible beverage container returned to our refund points across Queensland. Any container returned to a refund point is recycled into new material for a cleaner Queensland.

The scheme launched in Queensland on 1 November 2018.

The CRS was introduced to help clean up our state by encouraging Queenslanders to recycle their recyclable drink containers. Before the scheme started in November 2018, drink containers were the second most littered item in our environment and Queensland had one of the lowest recycling rates in Australia at around 44%. Plus, almost three billion drink containers are generated each year in our state alone!

No. Although the container refund scheme is a Queensland Government initiative, Containers for Change is not managed by the government. Container Exchange is the not-for-profit organisation appointed by the Queensland Government to establish and operate Containers for Change.

Container Exchange (COEX), a not-for-profit company, was established after being appointed as the Product Responsibility Organisation by the Queensland Government and is responsible for managing Queensland’s container refund scheme, Containers for Change.

You can find out more about COEX here or by emailing [email protected].

COEX is responsible for managing Containers for Change and its operators across Queensland. COEX is focussed on reducing beverage container litter and increasing recycling to keep Queensland beautiful. COEX’s responsibilities include:

• collecting funds from beverage manufacturers to fund the cost of the scheme,
• overseeing the operation of refund points, logistics providers, processors and other service providers required to deliver the scheme, and
• overseeing the online auction portal where accredited recyclers can purchase the containers collected from the scheme to be recycled.

You can find out more about COEX here or by emailing [email protected].

COEX is responsible for managing Containers for Change and its operators across Queensland. COEX is focussed on reducing beverage container litter and increasing recycling to keep Queensland beautiful. COEX’s responsibilities include:

• collecting funds from beverage manufacturers to fund the cost of the scheme,
• overseeing the operation of refund points, logistics providers, processors and other service providers required to deliver the scheme, and
• overseeing the online auction portal where accredited recyclers can purchase the containers collected from the scheme to be recycled.

You can find out more about COEX here or by emailing [email protected].

Containers for Change is funded by beverage manufacturers who sell eligible beverage containers  in Queensland, taking responsibility for reducing the environmental impact of their containers. Each manufacturer contributes a fee for every eligible container they sell in Queensland to Container Exchange, the not-for-profit that manages the scheme.

Containers that are placed into council kerbside recycling bins end up at material recovery facilities (MRFs) for recycling. Container Exchange then pay MRFs the refund amount on the eligible containers they collect. MRFs and local councils share in the proceeds from the eligible containers collected from council kerbside recycling bins.

Good question! Beverage manufacturers are responsible for funding the scheme as a way of reducing the environmental impact of their containers. These suppliers pay Container Exchange around 13 cents per eligible container they sell.

The fee covers the 10 cent refund to customers and material recovery facilities (MRFs), plus payments to those who make the scheme possible, like refund point operators, logistics providers and processors.

Some beverage manufacturers have made the commercial decision to increase the price of the eligible containers they sell to cover these costs. The Queensland Productivity Commission (QPC) has reviewed the scheme to ensure that there was no unjustified pricing behaviour. You can read the QPC report here.

Refund point operators are individual businesses contracted to Container Exchange (COEX). Although guided by COEX, each operator decides on their business model which includes their returns process for customers and trading hours. There are more than 70 different operators and more than 350 refund points across the state.

Refund point operators sort the containers into material types after they're returned by customers. Generally, the sorted containers are transported to a processing facility. Here, the processor prepares the material for recycling – usually by crushing the materials into bales.

Accredited recyclers purchase the materials off a secure online auction portal which they recycle into new products. If the materials are recycled into a new eligible container, the journey starts again!

Most councils prohibit people from removing rubbish from a bin placed on a footpath. Breaking the local law may result in a fine, particularly if rubbish or litter is left around a bin after it has been raided. If you are affected by this issue, please contact your local council.

We currently offer a 10 cent refund for all eligible containers returned through the scheme. This is the current refund amount set out in the legislation as set by the Queensland Government and also aligns with the other recycling schemes in Australia.