Containers for Change set to crack the $1 billion refund mark early in 2025

The woman leading a Queensland scheme that has put nearly $1 billion back in everyday Queenslanders’ pockets says another $100 million has been missed out on, as she reveals what’s next for the still-growing project.

Containers for Change heading towards the 10 billion container collection mark early next year.

From little things, big things grow and Natalie Roach believes Container Exchange’s next challenge is to get the corporate world on board recycling drink containers, in a scheme that over the past six years has returned hundreds of millions of dollars to Queenslanders.

Container Exchange (COEX) is the non-profit state government-appointed body managing the drinks container refund scheme – Containers for Change – that was officially launched in November 2018.

COEX chief executive Ms Roach said the scheme has had a wide ranging impact on Queensland.

“Its really important in the benefits its provides for Queenslanders and the state of Queensland as a whole,” she said.

“The environmental element is obvious – stopping drink containers being litter or going into landfill – but there are benefits for communities and charity groups and the jobs it creates and also the money that goes back into the pockets of Queenslanders.”

Since it began, more than $900m has been returned to Queenslanders through the 10c drink container refund – including more than $13.5m to charities and community groups.

More than 1.8 billion containers went through container refund points in the 2024 financial year, with more than $180m being put into the pockets of Queenslanders including $3.4m donated to charities and community groups.

COEX has almost 370 refund depots around Queensland and just over 1500 full-time and part-time staff and contractors.

Containers for Change chief executive Natalie Roach.

Ms Roach said the container return rate has “really speeded up” and they were on track to reach 10 billion containers handed in since the scheme started and at the same time hit the $1 billion milestone in refunds by early 2025.

However, she said there was still plenty of growth in the scheme.

“We have a very good relationship with Queenslanders in their homes but we are very keen to partner up with business, local councils and more to make sure that when containers are being consumed outdoors or in places like hotels, accommodation venues, tourist operations and events they are also recycled through this scheme,” she said.

“We think on average 70 per cent of those containers are either going to landfill or elsewhere.

“Across Queensland on average around 3 billion eligible drink containers are consumed every year and we currently recycle about 2 billion of those with 1 billion containers going to waste.

“That means Queenslanders are missing out on a $100m in refunds every year which is a sizeable amount of money.”

Under Ms Roach’s leadership more than 1425 strategic partnerships have been launched in 2024, with over 90 per cent of participants donating refunds to charities and community groups. COEX partnerships include Flight Centre, Virgin Australia, Queensland Theatre and South Bank Corporation.

COEX’s award-winning partnership with Brisbane Airport, saw their container recycling initiative collect more than 1 million containers this year. Brisbane Airport Corporation was awarded the Partner of the Year award at the 2024 Change Maker Awards.

“Queensland’s business sector has a vital role in boosting recycling rates,” said Ms Roach who is also a non executive director at Mildura Airport and a committee on the Queensland section of the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

“Programs like Containers for Change offer businesses a meaningful way to support ESG

(Environmental, Social, and Governance) goals, with many using the revenue to fund charitable initiatives.”

Gladstone Airport Corporation is helping the environment and the Royal Flying Doctor Service with a Container Exchange program at Gladstone Airport.

Ms Roach grew up in the naval town of Plymouth in south western Britain and attended Leeds Metropolitan University majoring in European languages and business before embarking on a career with travel company TUI UK and then with BAA working out of Heathrow Airport.

It was her relationship with Qantas while at Heathrow that led to her landing in Sydney in 2011. “It was an opportunity too good to refuse. I’m really glad I made that choice because I love living here” Ms Roach said.

In 2018 she went north and joined Queensland Rail where she was group executive – customer and corporate affairs and then G8 Education where she was chief customer officer before becoming chief executive of Container Exchange in January 2023.

“It was a really exciting opportunity. It was one I could see that would really leverage my prior experience and skills,” Ms Roach said.

“We have such a unique platform and opportunity to truly influence Queenslanders to recycle and make real change.”

All of the containers collected are recycled. All the glass bottles are recycled in Queensland while a portion of the other containers are sent offshore because of a lack of suitable recycling capacity issues.

A major initiative since Ms Roach started her tenure was the inclusion of eligible wine and spirit bottles on November 1, 2023 into the scheme resulting in a 13.4 per cent year-on-year increase in glass recycling volumes.

“That was a sizeable effort. It was the government’s decision but it was a decision following consultation with the public who supported the expansion of the scheme,” she said.

“We were the first in the country to do that and it’s been a rip roaring success. It has put an extra $9m back into the pockets of Queenslanders which previously wasn’t there.”

Ms Roach said she has applied what she has learnt over the years in leading COEX.

“It’s really important to build a very strong team around you. It’s important that you have to nurture that team and have smart people around you,” she said.

“For me, I like to learn from my team as much as they are able to learn from me. It has to be a collaborative two-way process when you are working at this level.”