RVM hire program: Commercial operators

Through this program, organisations in South East Queensland can hire Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) from COEX to run their own container refund points – without the need to purchase the equipment.

The program is available to two types of organisations:

Eligible commercial operators – whether existing operators and new commercial entities – who want to expand their footprint without the significant upfront capital investment of purchasing an RVM.
Not-for-profit organisations, charities, local government, community groups and social enterprises can host and operate an RVM as a sustainable fundraising mechanism, raising money for their cause while helping Queensland reach its container recovery targets.

In both cases, COEX retains ownership of the asset, and the program is available in South East Queensland only.

COEX is committed to expanding Queensland’s Containers for Change network to increase its impact, reduce the number of containers going to landfill and make the scheme more accessible to more Queenslanders.

The asset hire program directly supports this by:

Reducing the capital barrier to entry, opening the scheme to organisations that may not be able to afford to purchase an RVM,
Expanding the network into locations that are not currently serviced, such as community spaces, sporting clubs and local venues – close to where people live, work and play,
Creating fundraising opportunities for not-for-profit and community organisations,
Providing growth pathways for eligible small and medium commercial operators who want to expand and grow their impact.

All applicants must be able to operate within South East Queensland.

Commercial program

Current operators* who claimed combined fees for no more than 30 million containers across all CRPs in the previous financial year.
New operators* who are not currently a participant in the scheme and who report an annual turnover of less than $2.5m in the previous financial year.

*Including any subsidiary, holding company or ultimate holding company

Community program

Registered charities, not-for-profits, local governments, community groups and accredited social enterprises. Applicants must be able to demonstrate their community, government, social enterprise or charitable status

South East Queensland is defined as the following local government areas:

Brisbane City Council
City of Ipswich
City of Logan
City of Moreton Bay
Redland City
City of Gold Coast
Sunshine Coast Regional Council
Noosa Shire Council

Please note this does not include islands in Moreton Bay accessible by ferry only.

All sites are subject to our existing CRP application criteria.

You do not need to own the site. However, you need to demonstrate that you have the right to operate from the location for a sufficient period (two years for community, five years for commercial) to make the arrangement viable. If you are leasing, you need your landlord’s permission to host an RVM on the premises.

Your site must meet specific requirements before an RVM can be installed. These include, but are not limited to:

Access to power or ability to use an off-grid solar option
Internet connectivity
A flat surface
Sufficient space for logistics trucks to empty the RVM.

COEX will complete a site inspection as part of the application process to confirm suitability. All sites are subject to eligibility criteria.

View full CRP application criteria or contact our Expansion Team for more information.

The timeframe from application approval to RVM installation depends on asset availability, site readiness, local government development approval and mobilisation scheduling. COEX’s Mobilisation team will work with your organisation on a timeline once your application is approved.

Any relocation would require a new site application and assessment.

All participants must meet COEX’s standard insurance requirements specified in the Container Collection Agreement which apply to all container refund point operators, including:

public and products liability insurance; and
workers compensation insurance.

Participants must also have appropriate insurance coverage for the asset.

Containers are collected by our logistics partner and transported to a secondary sort facility, where they are sorted by material type, then taken to a processing facility and sold onto approved recyclers to be turned into new containers or other products.

RVMs can operate 24/7, though operating hours may need to be reduced depending on the location.

When you are ready to apply, submit your application for the asset hire program online. Our team will assess your application and if you are successful, you’ll be invited to submit a CRP application. To help you prepare, a PDF version of the CRP application form is available to download.

You can save your progress and return to your CRP application at any time. All required documents must be submitted for your application to be accepted and assessed. If you have questions at any point, contact the Expansion Team at expansion@coex.com.au.

The application covers the following sections:

Your contact and entity details — including your legal business name, Australian Business Number (ABN) and entity structure
Qualifying criteria — a short set of yes/no questions to confirm your eligibility before you proceed
Business profile and capability — including financial statements, working capital and relevant business experience
Compliance declarations — covering regulatory investigations, litigation, director suitability and modern slavery compliance
Your proposed site — including location, operating hours, zoning, lease status, traffic management and security arrangements
Supporting plans — you will need to upload an employment plan, customer experience plan, site design and branding plan, and a marketing plan, along with details of your proposed community and social enterprise engagement
Conflict of interest declaration — to identify and manage any existing relationships with COEX
Final acknowledgement — confirming the accuracy of your application and consenting to background checks.

Note that an application is required for each proposed CRP.

Applications are assessed by a panel against a set of eligibility and suitability criteria.

A rejection for one site does not prevent you from applying for a different location. COEX encourages applicants to speak with the Expansion team before submitting a new application, so we can provide guidance on making an application successful.

COEX currently provides two types of RVMs for commercial operators:

CBOX 3 (Supplied by Ecoboxtec): Large format, three-line asset , which means up to three customers can use it at once
RVM X30 (Supplied by RVM Systems): Smaller format asset that serves one customer at a time.

All assets are wrapped in COEX branding before mobilisation.

It is up to the operator to select the right pathway for them and the Expansion Team is available to talk through the options available.

Hire an RVM from COEX

Pay a monthly hire rate starting from:
- $4,160 for CBOX 3
- $706 for RVM X30
You are responsible for day-to-day cleaning and operations.
COEX manages all technical maintenance.
Receive a handling fee of 5.90 cents per eligible container processed
COEX retains ownership of the asset

Own your RVM

No monthly hire rate
Chose any accredited asset
Full responsibility for cleaning, operations and maintenance.
Receive a handling fee of 5.90 cents per eligible container processed.

Purchasing an RVM means you take full ownership of the machine – and full responsibility for its cost, technical maintenance and lifecycle. With purchase prices ranging from $35,000 up to $250,000, this can represent a significant capital outlay.

Under the hire model, COEX retains ownership of the RVM, so you avoid that upfront investment. Instead, you pay a predictable monthly hire fee – starting at $4,160 + GST for a basic installation of the Ecoboxtec CBOX 3 or $706 + GST for an RVM Systems X30 – giving you access to high‑quality equipment without tying up capital. This gives you flexibility and reduces your financial risk.

COEX approves all new Container Refund Points based on the CRP Application Criteria which includes, among other things, a consideration of existing community access to Container Refund Points and projected site volume. If you have concerns about a proposed site near your operation, please email feedback@coex.com.au.

Commercial operators receive a handling fee of 5.90 cents per eligible container processed, paid weekly. To receive payment, you submit a weekly claim in the COEX business portal.

If you choose to hire the RVM from COEX, a monthly hire rate of $3,100 applies in addition to your handling fee income. If you choose to own the asset yourself, no hire rate applies.

Payments are processed weekly. To receive payment, you submit a weekly claim in the COEX business portal.

Participants enter into two agreements with COEX:

An RVM Container Collection Agreement (CCA): This is the standard agreement all container refund point operators enter into with COEX. It covers operational requirements, compliance obligations and scheme participation.
A Hire Agreement: This is a separate agreement specific to the asset hire program that sets out the terms of the hire, including responsibilities for operation and cleaning of the asset.

At the end of the five-year hire period, you may be able to renew or extend your agreement, subject to the re-contracting process that applies to all sites. Please refer to the RVM CCA and the Hire Agreement for full details.

The asset hire agreement is for a five-year term. Please refer to the terms of the Container Collection Agreement (CCA) and Hire Agreement for details on termination.

The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is an Australian Government register that records security interests in personal property — including equipment such as RVMs. Because COEX owns the RVM, COEX registers its interest in the asset on the PPSR. This protects COEX’s ownership of the asset if, for example, the participant were to become insolvent. As the hirer, you would not own the asset and it would not appear as your property on the register.

Contact COEX’s contact centre on 13 42 42 for any technical issues. The contact centre provides first-level support using frequently asked questions and troubleshooting guides. If the issue cannot be resolved remotely, it will be escalated to the manufacturer’s technical support team, who are committed to addressing issues within agreed timeframes.

All commercial participants are responsible for:

The cost of all approvals required to place the RVM on the site
Completing required cleaning of the asset in accordance with the manufacturer’s requirements to maintain warranty (daily at a minimum, 7 days a week)
Keeping the site and the RVM clean, tidy and safe for customers
Reporting incidents or asset issues promptly
Meeting all compliance requirements under their RVM Container Collection Agreement (CCA)
Maintaining appropriate insurances

Technical maintenance is managed by COEX via the manufacturer on your behalf.

Under the asset hire model, COEX provides the reverse vending machine (RVM), bins to collect containers, site set-up and mobilisation support, alongside training and onboarding documentation. You will also have ongoing access to asset monitoring dashboards and container pickups via our logistics partner.

Operators also have access to COEX’s contact centre (13 42 42) for customer and operational queries, as well as marketing support and access to Brand Folder.

Given we retain ownership of the asset, technical maintenance is managed by COEX and regularly undertaken via the relevant machine manufacturer. It includes:

Mechanical checks (i.e. wear and tear on moving parts, spray / grease, adjustment of belt tension),
Inspection of cameras and sensors to confirm accuracy and functionality,
Test display and user interface,
Monitor machine for error codes,
Test power supply connections,
Emergency stop tests.

For the large Ecoboxtec CBOX 3, COEX and operators have access to the RVM manufacturer’s asset monitoring dashboard, which tracks fill levels in real time. Our logistics partner is notified of the RVMs capacity and is required to empty your RVM before it reaches capacity.

For the small RVM Systems X3, commercial operators are responsible for:

Emptying the asset
Aggregating the containers in 660L bins (glass and mixed material separated)
Booking a collection via Allotrac once the aggregated bins reach 80% capacity.

For the large Ecoboxtec CBOX 3, COEX and operators have access to the manufacturer’s asset monitoring dashboard, which provides real-time data on fill levels, asset downtime and cleaning compliance.

No data is available for the small RVM Systems X3 beyond the Power BI analytics through the COEX operator reporting suite, which provides visibility over your site’s overall performance.

Customer queries and complaints
COEX contact centre
13 42 42
Enquiries@containersforchange.com.au

Technical issues
COEX contact centre (escalates to manufacturer)
13 42 42

Day-to-day operational matters
Your Network Lead
Email or call your designated Network Lead

Safety incidents
Safety team
safety@coex.com.au

Finance and payment queries
Finance team
finance@containersforchange.com.au

Logistics and bin collection
Logistics team
Logistics@coex.com.au

Marketing and brand support
Marketing team
Marketing@coex.com.au

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