Containers for Change fundraising support.

Turn everyday drink containers into ongoing funding for your organisation.

Sporting clubs, charities, community groups and not-for-profit organisations can create a simple fundraising program with the support of Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange.

You have the cause

We help shape the program that makes it easier to support.

Resources included

Bins, posters, QR codes, signage and launch support where suitable.

Designed for volunteers

Start simple, reduce admin and build momentum over time.

Local advice

Work with a North Brisbane team that understands community fundraising.

Fundraising opportunity

There is still an enormous fundraising opportunity.

Each year, around $100 million worth of eligible drink containers still end up in general waste instead of being returned through Containers for Change. Those containers could be helping sporting clubs, charities and community organisations fund equipment, programs, facilities and local projects.

Eligible drink cans ready to become fundraising refunds.
A person donating a container at a Brisbane Airport donation station.
Fundraising partner

You have the cause. We'll help you make it successful.

Every organisation has supporters. Many simply do not realise they are throwing away valuable fundraising opportunities every day. Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange helps turn everyday containers into long-term community funding with a clear plan, practical resources and friendly support after launch day.

Community partnerships

Your community is already generating donations.

Every day, eligible containers are consumed in offices, cafes, restaurants, sporting clubs, events, retirement villages, shopping centres, hotels, airports and local businesses. Many organisations already have relationships with these places. With a simple Member Number and support from Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange, those containers can become ongoing fundraising.

Member Number Your cause

Offices

Staff drink containers can support a local cause instead of disappearing into general waste.

Cafes and restaurants

Hospitality venues can direct eligible containers to an organisation's Member Number.

Sporting clubs

Game days, training nights and clubhouses create repeated donation moments.

Retirement villages

Residents, families and staff can turn routine containers into support for a chosen cause.

Larger local partners

Hotels, airports, shopping centres and retirement villages can become powerful recurring fundraising allies.

Community events

Markets, fundraisers and local gatherings can give supporters a simple way to help.

Your existing community relationships may already be your biggest fundraising opportunity.
A supporter loading Containers for Change donation bags into a car.
Start small

You don't need hundreds of volunteers.

Successful fundraising can begin with one donation bin, one Member Number, one local business or one community that wants to help. Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange helps you start with what you have, then grow when the routine is working.

How we help

How we help you raise more with less effort.

Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange helps reduce the workload for volunteers with practical planning, resources and support your organisation can actually use.

Fundraising strategy

We help shape a simple plan around your cause, volunteers, audience and first realistic goal.

Member Number setup

We guide you through the account pathway so refunds can go to the right organisation.

Bin supply

We help choose donation bins or donation points that suit your site, event or community space.

Posters

We provide clear prompts so supporters know what to donate and where to place it.

Donation signage

We help make the donation point visible, welcoming and easy for people to understand.

QR codes

Supporters can scan, learn and use your organisation's details with less confusion.

Social media graphics

We help you promote the fundraiser across members, volunteers, customers and local supporters.

Community education

We explain eligible containers, contamination and simple habits that protect refund value.

Return planning

When your program grows, we help plan practical return pathways around volume and timing.

Ongoing support

You have a local team to ask questions, adjust the plan and keep momentum going.
Fundraising ideas

Fundraising ideas with a story behind them.

The strongest programs explain who can help, where containers naturally come from and why the idea is easy for supporters to repeat.

Rotary clubs

Who donates
Members, local businesses, event guests and community supporters.
Where containers come from
Meetings, sausage sizzles, markets, local business partners and community events.
Why it works
Rotary networks already connect people and local causes, making container donations easy to explain and repeat.

Sporting clubs

Who donates
Players, members, families, sponsors and neighbouring venues.
Where containers come from
Training nights, weekend games, clubhouses, canteens and end-of-season events.
Why it works
Club communities already gather often, making donation habits easy to repeat and easy to promote.

Charities

Who donates
Volunteers, regular donors, workplaces and local supporters.
Where containers come from
Appeals, volunteer days, office partners, depots, events and supporter homes.
Why it works
It gives people a low-pressure way to contribute between major campaigns.

Community groups

Who donates
Members, families, local organisations and small businesses.
Where containers come from
Meeting places, community halls, markets, workshops and shared neighbourhood spaces.
Why it works
A visible donation point can become a small recurring act of support for a local cause.

Scouts and Guides

Who donates
Youth members, families, leaders and local supporters.
Where containers come from
Group nights, camps, badge projects, community service drives and weekend activities.
Why it works
It combines practical fundraising with hands-on learning and community participation.

Local cause partners

Who donates
Businesses, cafes, retirement villages, offices and community organisations.
Where containers come from
Existing partner locations that already consume eligible drink containers.
Why it works
Your current relationships may already be your biggest fundraising opportunity.
How fundraising works

A simple pathway from first idea to ongoing funding.

We keep the process visual and practical so committees, volunteers and supporters can understand what happens next.

  1. Contact us

    Tell us about your organisation, your cause and what you hope to fund.

  2. We help create your program

    Together we map the simplest first step, donation points, promotion and volunteer roles.

  3. Receive your Member Number

    We guide the account pathway so refunds can be directed to your organisation.

  4. Receive bins and resources

    Your team gets practical donation bins, posters, signs, QR codes or launch material where suitable.

  5. Community donates containers

    Supporters can donate at your site, events, local partners or through your Member Number.

  6. Returns are handled simply

    Supporters can return containers themselves, and Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange can help plan the easiest pathway as volume grows.

  7. Refunds support your cause

    The 10c refunds go toward the people, projects and community outcomes you care about.

Real community impact

Everyday donations can support real local outcomes.

The best fundraising stories are not about containers. They are about the equipment, projects, activities and support that become possible when a community has an easy way to give.

A resident donating a container at a Containers for Change donation station.

Funding that feels local

Small, repeated donations can help pay for equipment, excursions, club improvements, outreach and community projects.

Supporters can see their role

A clear donation point turns everyday containers into a simple action people can repeat.

The cause stays at the centre

Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange helps with the program mechanics so your volunteers can keep telling the story that matters.
Built to grow

Begin with one donation point. Grow into a community habit.

Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange helps organisations build at a pace that suits their volunteers, from a single bin to local business partnerships, events and broader community support.

A person donating a container at a Brisbane Airport donation station.
  1. Start with one donation point

    A single bin, bag rack or donation zone is enough to begin.

  2. Add regular supporters

    Families, members, staff and volunteers learn your Member Number and donation routine.

  3. Invite local partners

    Nearby businesses, clubs or event hosts can become simple fundraising allies.

  4. Build community momentum

    Your fundraiser becomes a visible habit people understand and want to support.

Why Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange

A local fundraising partner behind your program.

Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange helps organisations build fundraisers that are clear, practical and easy for supporters to join. We bring the local knowledge, education resources, donation prompts and ongoing advice that help good causes keep momentum.

Local team

You work with people who understand North Brisbane communities and the causes they support.

Practical fundraising advice

We help turn a good idea into a simple program your volunteers can actually maintain.

Education resources

We make eligibility, contamination and Member Number use easier for supporters to understand.

Marketing support

Posters, social prompts, QR codes and launch ideas help your message travel further.

Return planning

As donations grow, we help you plan the practical return pathway that fits your community.

Friendly ongoing support

Questions, adjustments and new ideas are part of the partnership, not an afterthought.
Fundraising FAQs

Questions organisations ask before getting started.

Clear answers for committees, coordinators, volunteers and community leaders.

Who can start a fundraising program?
Sporting clubs, charities, churches, Scouts and Guides groups, Rotary clubs, community groups, not-for-profit organisations and local causes can speak with Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange about a Containers for Change fundraising pathway.
Do we need lots of volunteers?
No. Many fundraisers begin with one donation point, one Member Number and a small group of supporters. Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange can help you start with a simple setup and grow over time.
Can Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange help us set up our Member Number?
Yes. Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange can guide you through the account and Member Number pathway so your organisation understands how refunds will be directed.
Do you provide posters, signage or QR codes?
Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange can help with practical resources such as posters, donation signage, QR codes and promotional ideas so supporters know how to take part.
Can supporters donate without bringing containers to us?
Yes. Supporters can often use your organisation's Member Number when returning eligible containers through the scheme, which helps your fundraiser reach beyond one site.
Can we start with one event?
Yes. A fete, game day, community morning, market stall or launch event can be a useful first step before deciding whether to create an ongoing donation point.
What containers are eligible?
Most eligible drink containers between 150mL and 3L with the Queensland 10c refund mark can be returned. Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange can help your community understand what belongs in the fundraiser and what should stay out.
What happens when our fundraiser grows?
Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange can help adjust bins, signage, support and return arrangements as volume grows through families, local businesses, events and community partnerships.

Ready to turn everyday containers into support for your cause?

Bring the cause. We'll help with the plan, resources and local support to make your fundraiser easier to start and easier to sustain.