Containers For Change

Queensland's Container Refund Scheme

About the program

Did you know Queenslanders go through around 3 billion drink containers each year? We’ve created a way to recycle those containers that incentivises Queenslanders, and positively impacts our environment and the communities we live in. By encouraging individuals and groups to take part, we can help create jobs in metropolitan and regional areas, and support local economies.

Members of the public can exchange eligible empty containers for a 10 cent refund at authorised container refund points, or they can donate them to local community groups, charities or not-for-profit organisations, who then receive the 10 cent refund.

Once you’ve returned your containers, container refund point operators sort them into material types before a logistics provider transports them to be processed. The containers are then prepared for recycling at the processing facility before accredited recyclers purchase the processed materials which they transform into new containers and other products.

Container Exchange (COEX) is a not-for-profit organisation created to establish and run the Containers for Change scheme in Queensland. We focus on reducing container litter, increasing recycling efforts and helping communities benefit through paying refunds to individuals, charities and community groups.

Eligible Containers

Most aluminium, glass, plastic and liquid paperboard beverage containers between 150ml and three litres are eligible for a refund when returned to a container refund point. To be eligible the beverage container must:

Have contained a beverage product that is not excluded from the scheme. For example, cordials and plain milk are not included in the scheme so containers that have held these products are not eligible for a refund.
Display the refund mark. This is so that the container refund point operator can see if the container is part of the scheme. Most containers will already have a refund mark for SA and NT and these containers are eligible under Containers for Change. Beverage manufacturers have until 1 December 2019 to display the new refund mark on their containers.
Be an approved container. Some containers are made out of materials that cannot be recycled. These containers may not be approved (by the Queensland Government) as an eligible container as the scheme requires that when a refund is paid on a container that container must be recycled.

Excluded Containers

There are some beverage containers that are not eligible for a refund. Generally excluded containers are those that are less than 150ml and greater than three litres. Other excluded containers include:

Any plain milk containers,
Cask Wine
Containers 1L or more which have contained flavoured milk, pure fruit or vegetable juice, cask wine or cask water,
Concentrated/undiluted cordial or syrup containers,
Sachets above 250ml which have contained wine,
Registered health tonics.

Excluded containers, such as plain milk bottles and glass wine bottles, can still be recycled through existing kerbside collection or drop-off services.

Member Number

You can now sign up to have your container refund processed directly into your bank account through electronic funds transfer. By clicking the link below you will be taking directly the sign up page where you will be given a Scheme Id. When you visit us just let us know you want it paid into your account, let us know your Scheme ID and we will take care of the rest.

Sign Up Now