Caboolture Container Recycling is the first Containers for Change depot in south east Queensland to receive its 200 millionth container to be recycled through the scheme.
The milestone container was returned by 73-year-old pensioner Narelle Hattink at 12:34pm on Friday, 13 June 2025. Ms Hattink has been recycling containers for several years and uses the 10-cent refund to provide housing and support to people who are experiencing homelessness.
“I’ve got nothing better to do with my time, so I’d rather do something community wise,” Ms Hattink said.
“We try and budget, on my pension week’s a good week but when it’s not my pension week we’ve got to do canning and stuff, and I do scrap as well, and that’s just to help with the food and the fuel.
“Everyone should do it because recycling is something we’ve got to do in modern day anyway.”
To mark the occasion, Ms Hattink received $1,000 from the depot for the milestone 200 millionth container, in addition to the 10-cent refund for her 2,086 containers returned on the day.
A four-generation family-owned business, Caboolture Container Recycling has provided the local community with access to recycling for more than 50 years.
The business, previously named Caboolture Bottle Exchange, was started in a tiny garden shed in 1968 by Frank McLoughlin who saw it as an opportunity to expand on his practice of recycling scrap metal and glass from the tip.
He ran the business with his wife Hazel until his death in 1978, at which time it moved to Westpark Industrial Estate and passed ownership on to their daughter Val and her husband Stephen Gunst.
In 2018, the then-named Caboolture Recycling Centre depot became one of the first container refund points when the Containers for Change scheme launched in Queensland.
Today customers can meet three generations at the depot on Machinery Parade; Val works the counter providing refunds, her daughter and current co-owner Sara Payne oversees the day-to-day business with her husband Michael, while their sons Cooper and Hayden run the container counting machines out back.
“When we joined Containers for Change we didn’t know just how big this was going to be and it’s amazing to see how the community has embraced us,” Ms Payne said.
“It’s just awesome to see the regulars come back all the time, it melts our heart.
“I’m so glad Narelle was our lucky 200 millionth container winner – she is truly someone who gives back everything thing she can to those who need it and is incredibly deserving of this prize.”
Natalie Roach, the Chief Executive Officer of Container Exchange, the not-for-profit organisation that runs Containers for Change, congratulated the family and team at Caboolture Container Recycling for achieving the milestone of 200 million containers.
“Val, Sara, Michael and the whole team behind Caboolture Container Recycling should be proud of the momentous contribution they’ve made to Queensland’s circular economy,” Ms Roach said.
“They’ve given 200 million containers a second life through Containers for Change and put $20 million in 10-cent refunds back into the Caboolture community.
“This achievement is testament to how deeply recycling runs in their blood and how committed they are to making a real impact, not just on our environment, but on their community as well.”
Caboolture Container Recycling is the second depot in Queensland to reach the 200 million containers milestone.
The first depot in Queensland to receive 200 million containers was Reef Recycling in Currajong, Townsville, in 2022. The depot has since relocated to a larger facility in Bohle.
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e: media@containerexchange.com.au
