Per our August 2023 Noosa 360 update, following advocacy from many including Sandy beginning in 2019 with a Question on Notice (QON) in State Parliament, the Queensland Government announced in April 2023, glass wine and spirit bottles, between 150mL and 3L, will finally be eligible for a 10-cent refund under Queensland’s Containers for Change program from November 1, 2023

From the first efforts to ensure we were able to secure a Containers for Change depot license for the Noosa Electorate, to hosting bags in our office for the pod at Waves of Kindness, this journey has been colourful and long, with many along the way who have worked to ensure we have outlets and facilities to accommodate this program.

Sandy would like to thank everyone along the way, including Dion and Josie from Express Recycling.

Dion and Josie Lawrence from the local Express Recycling depot provided the following statement:

The support and response from the Noosa community has been fabulous. We have been preparing for the inclusion of these containers to ensure we have plenty of collections options for all our customers, such as business and residential collections and additional bags and bins for our business, sporting, charity and schools’ groups. We also offer a range of return options for our customers including our drive-through depot and our front of house 24-hour collection pod.

Noosa businesses and charity organisations can also be involved, as well have been since inception utilising funds raised for a range of initiatives. To learn more on this and to check eligible containers, please visit https://expressrecycling.com.au and start recycling those bottles today.

In response to resident concerns regarding the refund amount, the Queensland Minister for the Environment’s office has provided the following information:

The Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011requires that beverage manufacturers who sell product in eligible containers fund the operation of the scheme by entering into a Container Recovery Agreement with COEX.

The current average weighted scheme price is 13.3 cents per container, with the scheme price varying by material between 12.8 cents for aluminium to 13.9 cents for glass and liquid paperboard.

The beverage manufacturer contributions pay for:

  • The 10-cent refund on returned eligible containers;
  • Container handling fees for container refund point operators;
  • Transport, logistics and processing fees to entities transporting; and
  • Preparing the containers for sale through an auction portal.

The 10c refund rate is consistent with all other schemes in Australia (South Australia, Northern Territory, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia).

If any Noosa State Electorate residents have any further feedback or items they would like added to the program, please contact our office on 5319 3100 or via noosa@parliament.qld.gov.au.

Further information

Further direct advocacy regarding this or any other matters related to the Environment can be directed to the Queensland Minster for Environment via environment@ministerial.qld.gov.au and please cc’ our office in via noosa@parliament.qld.gov.au and forward any response you receive to us.

For our previous Noosa 360 updates on this, please visit www.sandybolton.com/?s=containers+for+change.