Concerns and issues regarding the roll-out of outlets in Noosa for taking bottles and cans are currently being addressed as follows:
An Envirobank pod has been installed at Waves of Kindness (formerly known as Alpha and Omega) at 25 Production Street, Noosaville and will be operational from Monday January 8. This system is simple to follow, though you will need to register at the following link for your refunds, https://www.envirobank.com.au/recycle-with-us-2/
For those that prefer cash, there are 2 sites currently being assessed to become a ‘full depot’ with one currently in the tender process with COEX Container Exchange). We hope this will be up and running by end of month. Until then, you have options to store your containers, put into your standard Council recycle bin, or cash in at two existing depots located at:
TOMRA Recycling Centre, Kunda Park (near Maroochydore)
5 Pike Street, Kunda Park
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 7am to 7pm, Sat-Sun 7am to 5pm
Type: RVM, Drop Off, Depot (Commercial Bulk Sorting)
Payment: EFT via Scheme ID, Retail Cash Voucher, Charity Donation
Re.Turn-it, Glanmire (near Gympie)
Shed 4, 4 Smith Street, Glanmire
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 8am to 4pm, Sat 9am to 2pm, Sun 10am to 2pm
Type: Over-the-counter depots
Payment: Cash, EFT via Scheme ID
Envirobank, Buderim Depot
10 Kayleigh Drive, Buderim
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8am to 4pm Sat 8am to 1pm, closed public holidays
Type: Over-the-counter depots
Payment: Cash, EFT via Scheme ID, Retail Vouchers
There are a number of community organisations who have indicated that they will be opening up as ‘drop-offs’ with bins or other receptacles. As well, many are accepting containers as donations and we are waiting on confirmation from them on this. Once these are confirmed, an update will be issued with their locations.
The orange Envirobank bags have been delivered but are in short supply at some outlets including Eumundi. Efforts to avoid the looting of bags (that created the shortage in the first place) have been undertaken with some outlets not associated with the pods, kindly offering to host them including our electorate office at Noosa Civic.
To answer some miscellaneous questions from Facebook over Christmas:-
a) The costs to product suppliers that may be passed down to consumers is 10c per eligible bottle which is inclusive of GST. So for a carton of 24 pack beer – that is $2.40
b) Milk, spirit and wine bottles are not eligible containers in any State as the piece of legislation driving the scheme is associated with ‘Litter’ which when originally written, did not accommodate those containers traditionally used at home
c) The orange Envirobank bags can accommodate 50 x 1 litre bottles by taking the lids off and ‘squishing’ slightly!
d) You do not need to put 50 containers in these bags, however those not ‘full’ are slower to process, hence payment can be slower
Here again are some handy links for information on the scheme, as well what are eligible containers, and telephone numbers for any queries:
https://www.containersforchange.com.au/
https://www.containersforchange.com.au/faqs
https://www.containersforchange.com.au/where-can-i-return
https://containerexchange.com.au/
Thanks to everyone who has assisted in addressing this situation including Vince from Alpha and Omega, Narelle and her team from Envirobank, and a special mention to Jason at Caltex who persevered in extreme conditions to ‘hold the fort’! And to those organisations that have yet to jump on board – please consider doing so to help alleviate the volume!