Putting recyclable drink containers in the waste bin is a rubbish idea!

Today in Queensland, it’s easier than ever to recycle containers. But Queenslanders still send a whopping 1.1 billion containers to landfill each year. Imagine filling Suncorp Stadium four times with empty drink containers. Not many of us would drink to that.

The Containers for Change scheme makes it easy for Queenslanders to take part in a circular economy and build a more sustainable world by recycling empty drink containers. A circular economy is one that serves people and nature, where products no longer have a life cycle with a beginning, middle and end. When materials stop being used, they are circulated through this system again and again. In a successful circular economic model, there is no such thing as waste, just wasted opportunity.

By recycling drink containers, Queenslanders can significantly contribute to cutting out waste. All eligible containers can be refunded for 10 cents each at a refund point, or else we can simply set these containers free in the recycling bin at home. Either way, valuable materials are being kept out of the waste stream, and that’s no wasted effort!

More than five billion containers have been collected through the scheme since Containers for Change began in November 2018 sending an epic $500 million plus back into the Queensland economy. Think how much more spare change Queenslanders could be making if every eligible container was being returned! If the 1.1 billion containers currently being sent to landfill were returned at refund points at 10 cents apiece, we are looking at a $110,000,000 opportunity that could be going pack into the pockets of Queenslanders.

Before the introduction of the Containers for Change scheme, beverage containers were the second highest littered item after cigarette butts. We’ve made a significant impact on that ranking and the scheme has brought about a 54% reduction in beverage container litter according to state government surveys. But we still have a long way to go – especially if we are to hit our goal of achieving an 85% recycling recovery rate by 30 June 2022. And we need your help.

Many containers buried in landfill get there because we throw them into our rubbish bin, rather than the recycling bin. Or we don’t recycle our containers loose when we throw them in our recycling bin, causing material contamination that directs them to landfill. Rubbish decisions cost the environment, the economy, and our communities.

Remember, no material ever leaves our world, they simply change form. By taking our containers to a refund point or setting them free in the recycling bin at home, we’re creating a better future for generations to come. What’s more 100% of the containers returned through the scheme are recycled to make new products.

Containers for Change makes it easy for Queenslanders to take part in a circular economy and keep rubbish out of our community.