Toowoomba schools in container refund scheme trial

Two Toowoomba state schools will be part of a pilot project to explore the best ways for schools to participate in the Container Refund Scheme.

COMING SOON: St George and Roma are well on their way to having container refund schemes in place, will will see ten cent refunds on containers such as plastic water bottles. Picture: AbbieImages

TWO Toowoomba state schools will be part of a pilot project to explore the best ways for Queensland schools to participate in the recently launched Container Refund Scheme.

Education Minister Grace Grace said Harristown State High School and Highfields State School will be two of thirty schools around the state involved in the pilot. 

The scheme, which started on November 1, offers a ten cent refund per item on any eligible container. Eligible containers can made from glass, plastic, aluminium or liquid paper board and can range in size from 150ml to 3L.

"This is a fantastic scheme and one that I would love to see school communities from across the state get behind," Ms Grace said.

"That's why the Palaszczuk Government is providing a grant of $100,000 towards the $150,000 total cost for P&Cs Queensland to undertake a pilot so that they can find the best way for our schools to get involved and maximise the benefits."

Ms Grace said participating schools would trial ways to collect containers within their school communities and work to harness the energy of everyone associated with their school, including parents and carers, students and teachers.

"P&Cs Qld will report back to the government by mid-2019 on the success of the pilot project and we hope to use these findings to encourage more schools to join the scheme," Ms Grace said.

"I believe that most Queensland schools will one day benefit from this scheme which aims to increase the approximate 40 per cent recycling rate Queensland has now to upwards of 80 per cent, which is what has occurred in other countries when financial incentives are offered to recycle containers."

P&Cs Qld President Gayle Walters said they were very excited to be partnering with the State Government to get schools involved in the innovative scheme.

"We see the Container Refund Scheme pilot program as an ideal opportunity to establish on-site donation points in Queensland state schools and we will be working with Refund Point Operators on a sustainable and safe plan to maximise benefits flowing to these schools," Ms Walters said.

"The scheme has the potential to provide invaluable education for our students on caring for their environment as well as providing a real boost to P&C funding."  

The news comes after some schools in the region, including the Clifford Park Special School, said they would undertake their own projects to do with the Container Refund Scheme.

Originally published as Toowoomba schools in container refund scheme trial