Between June and August 2025, COEX undertook a review of the Scheme Pricing Framework used to calculate beverage manufacturer contributions for Queensland’s container refund scheme.
The review examined opportunities to improve transparency, fairness and long-term sustainability while supporting Queensland’s goal that no container goes to waste.
This page provides an overview of the consultation, key topics discussed and the outcomes that informed future changes to scheme pricing.
The existing pricing methodology had remained largely unchanged since the scheme commenced in 2018. As the scheme matured, COEX identified opportunities to review how scheme costs were allocated between different container materials and improve long-term pricing transparency and predictability.
The review focused on creating a pricing framework that:
Beverage manufacturers and industry associations were invited to provide feedback on four proposed changes:
These proposals were outlined in a Consultation Pack and Discussion Paper published by COEX.
The consultation ran from June to August 2025 and included:
Submissions represented the interests of more than 3,000 beverage manufacturers across Australia. Feedback was independently analysed by a third-party engagement consultancy to support objective reporting and protect participant confidentiality.
The consultation identified broad support for modernising the Scheme Pricing Framework.
Of the pricing methodologies presented during consultation, the preferred option was a cost-reflective model that incorporated the social cost of not recycling (Option 2b).
Following consultation, COEX undertook further analysis and modelling to validate the proposed pricing approach.
An update on the consultation outcomes and future implementation of the framework will be provided in October 2026.