Fewer containers, cleaner beaches
What happens when Western Australians save 5.7 billion 10¢ containers from general waste? Not only does more than $570 million in refunds go back into the pockets of the community, charities and sporting clubs, but it’s having a visible effect on our coastline too.
Containers for Change is proud to partner with Tangaroa Blue, which runs the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMBI) Database. The database records and categorises the rubbish volunteers collect from beaches around Australia, so we can see how many drink containers are washing up on WA’s coastline over time. Here’s what the latest data shows us:
- In 2014 an average of 28 accepted containers were collected per clean-up event
- In 2020 this had fallen to around 15 accepted containers per event
- In 2025, five years after WA’s Container Deposit Scheme was launched, it is now down to 10 accepted containers per event
That is a 33% reduction per event since the WA’s Container Deposit Scheme began, and 64% fewer than in 2014. A strong sign that more containers are making their way to refund points, and fewer are ending up on our beaches or floating in the ocean.
Want to be part of it?
This weekend, Tangaroa Blue is hosting WA’s biggest annual beach clean-up, and you can join in. Grab some friends, head to a beach near you, and help keep Western Australia’s beautiful coastline container and litter-free.