Gympie residents have recycled more than 40 million beverage containers and claimed $4 million in refunds through the Containers for Change scheme

Gympie residents have recycled more than 40 million beverage containers and claimed $4 million in refunds through the Containers for Change scheme

Return-It Glanmire staff Wayne Langton, Christina Langton, Depot Manager Russel Isaaks and Steven Rose

Gympie residents have recycled more than 40 million beverage containers and claimed $4 million in refunds through the Containers for Change scheme.

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The local community continues to benefit from the scheme, with the Gympie and District Landcare group funding education programs through the proceeds of donated containers.

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The Containers for Change scheme exchanges 10 cents for every eligible beverage container returned to a registered Container Refund Point (CRP) in Queensland.

This has translated into $4 million for Gympie area residents, charities, community groups and businesses since the scheme began in November 2018.

Ken Noye is the chief executive of Containers Exchange, the not for profit organisation that administers the scheme.

He said the elimination of 40 million containers from the Gympie environment was a worthy milestone, but also a recycling effort everyone needed to continue to build on.

“It is an impressive amount of containers that have been returned in Gympie and those efforts have now injected $4 million into the community,” said Mr Noye.

“We must continue to grow our beverage container recycling habits for the benefit of the natural environment.

Return-It Glanmire staff Wayne Langton, Christina Langton, Depot Manager Russel Isaaks and Steven Rose

“It is everybody’s job to ensure their containers are disposed of in one of two places – either exchanged for 10 cents at a Container Refund Point or placed in the council-provided yellowtop bin.”

Through the assistance of local CRP Return-It at Glanmire, the Gympie Landcare group has raised thousands of dollars through the scheme to help fund their educational activities.

“Since becoming a partner with Return-It, we have been able to raise over $3000 for our community organisation,” said Rhiaan Ashton, the group’s Education and Events Coordinator.

“These funds have been used to support the operation of our Junior Landcare Program and has assisted us in providing vital education to young people in our region on a range of environmental and sustainability issues.”

More than 3 billion containers have been saved from landfill across Queensland since the scheme began in November 2018, producing a 54% decrease in beverage container litter in the natural environment. For more information on Containers for Change, go to www.containersforchange.com.au/qld

Originally published as Gympie residents have recycled more than 40 million beverage containers and claimed $4 million in refunds through the Containers for Change scheme