Containers for Change scheme to turn trash into treasure

IT’S the scheme that will give Queenslanders a 10-cent refund for their cans and bottles. But with two weeks until it kicks off, questions remain over its readiness and how the public will respond.

DEPENDING on your drinking habits, your rubbish bin might soon become a little gold mine.

Queensland’s Containers for Change scheme — as it’s been dubbed by the State Government — will provide a 10-cent refund for eligible customers as of November 1.

But with the revolutionary container recycling scheme coming into play across the state in just a fortnight, there are still questions over its readiness and how the public will respond.

The Container Return Scheme (CRS) was introduced on September 5 last year when the Waste Reduction and Recycling Amendment Bill 2017 passed through Parliament with bipartisan support.

It means consumers will be able to return eligible cans and bottles and receive a 10-cent refund, as has been the case in South Australia since 1977.

Queensland's Container Refund Scheme, due to start in July 2018, will help tackle pollution and improve recycling.

With 3 billion drink and beverage containers used in Queensland each year, the scheme has been introduced in the hope it removes litter from our environment and waterways.

Consumers can get refunds for most aluminium, steel, glass and plastic containers from 150ml-3 litres that display a specific refund mark.

However, plain milk and cordial containers, wine and spirits bottles, cask wine and registered health tonics will not be eligible.

Drink prices are also understood to increase as part of the scheme, with beverage manufacturers to be charged extra for each container they produce by not-for-profit company CoEx (Container Exchange).

The company has been set up to run the scheme and has been helped along with a $35 million loan from the State Government.

CoEx has been tasked with, among other things, setting up 232 collection points across the state where customers can redeem their refund for returning eligible containers.

Several companies, such as Re. Turn It and Envirobank Recycling, will run the collection points and receive a “handling fee” from CoEx to pick up the containers and take them for recycling.

Schools, community groups and charities will also be able to benefit from the scheme by either becoming a donation point or registering with the scheme organisers so consumers can decide to donate their 10-cent refund instead.

The collection points will be set up in several varieties, including reverse-vending machines and over-the-counter depots, where consumers will receive a cash or electronic transfer that deposits the money straight into your bank account.

However, criticism erupted last month over CoEx’s implementation of the scheme, suggesting a potential shortage of sites across Queensland.

The Container Refund Scheme in Queensland will have centres with a minimum of nine reverse vending machines and a large recycling facility.

The Australian Council of Recycling raised the matter with Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch, saying it believed CoEx would be up to 40 sites short of the required number.

The NSW Government encountered serious problems when it implemented the scheme last year.

Consumers were slugged with an extra $110 million in the first three months because a lack of collection points meant residents couldn’t claim their refund on drink containers, which had been upped in price.

However, organisers of Queensland’s scheme have assured residents such issues will be avoided.

Drink price changes are understood to not come into effect immediately because beverage manufacturers won’t be charged by CoEx until mid-December.

This will mean the invoice for the scheme will be based on actual drink container sales in November, rather than NSW’s method using forecasts.

It also means the $35 million State Government loan allows CoEx to pay the container refund operators before they receive beverage manufacturer payments.

CoEx acting chairman Alby Taylor last month said there were several things out of the firm’s control, such as the weather, which could stop some sites opening on time, but he was confident of avoiding serious issues.

“We are using our best endeavours to ensure this scheme is up and running by the start date,” he said.

“By day one, there might be sites that are open and sites that are not, but that’s because there are things out of our control like the weather and construction.”

Environmental groups have put NSW’s issues down to a rushed implementation and say the recovery rate for drink containers has now more than doubled since it began.

Ms Enoch said she was confident of the approach the Government had taken to implementing the scheme.

“Unlike NSW, our scheme will be run on a not-for-profit basis by organisation Container Exchange (CoEx), which was appointed as the product responsibility organisation,” she said.

“Our scheme has been developed following extensive consultation and we are proud of the model that has been developed.

“Around 3 billion drink or beverage containers are used every year in Queensland. If only 10 per cent of these containers are returned for donation, that’s $30 million going to the community sector every year.”

As of October 5, 254 container refund points had been slated for operation across Queensland.

The Containers for Change website lists sites from Cooktown to Cooloongatta and out to Mount Isa.

Consumers are urged to visit the containersforchange.com.au website for exact locations.