Scheme expansion for operators

From 1 November 2023 all glass wine and pure spirit bottles will be eligible for a 10 cent refund when returned to a container refund point in Queensland, as stated in the Waste Reduction and Recycling (Expansion of Container Refund Scheme) Amendment Regulation 2023.

Supporting customers

For now Containers for Change customers should continue to recycle their glass wine and spirit bottles in the yellow-top council bins or their closest transfer station.

The Containers for Change Queensland website has a dedicated scheme expansion page to help with customer queries.

There will also be a new customer campaign in market from 1 October 2023 educating people on the acceptance of wine and spirits into the Scheme from 1 November.

Useful tools

Marketing assets
Media statement
Toolbox tips
Containers for Change

FAQs

Will we need any additional equipment for sorting the additional containers?

No. Regional Managers have been assisting with the planning and preparation of your container refund point. Additional glass volumes will be managed by an increase in logistics services.  

What do I say if I am approached by a local MP or the media?

Please immediately inform your Regional Manager or Media Advisor, Ben Mulcahy – media@containerexchange.com.au. A reminder that operators cannot speak to media without express permission from COEX. 

Will we be able to accept wine bottles without a barcode from 1 November 2023?

Yes we will accept all wine bottles even those without a barcode. The Queensland Government has provided a grace period of one year until 1 November 2024 for barcodes to be applied to wine bottles. 

Do we accept boxed (cask) wine and pre-mixed cocktails?

No, only glass bottles that have contained wine and pure spirits will be eligible for a 10-cent refund. 

Can we accept all wine and pure spirit bottles?

Yes. From November 1, 2023, all glass wine and pure spirit bottles with a volume between 150ml and 3 litres sold into Queensland can be accepted for a refund at a Queensland container refund point. 

Will we be able to accept wine and pure spirit bottles without the 10c mark from 1 November 2023?

Yes, all wine and pure spirit bottles will be accepted without a 10-cent refund mark until January 2027 to enable beverage manufacturers time to apply this label.

Is there supporting collateral I can access to help educate my customers?

Yes. New marketing assets that were ordered by operators have been sent out to refund points. 

To support you communicating with customers, we’ve created a suite of new branded social media tiles and caption suggestions, which can be downloaded from Brand Hub. 

Please only share the approved scheme expansion assets using the social media copy located in Brand Hub or share posts direct from the Containers for Change social media channels. For assistance on how to share posts to Facebook, visit the Operator Social Media Guide here. 

If you have any problems downloading assets, please contact our marketing team – marketing@containerexchange.com.au.  

Will older (vintage) wine and spirit bottles sold prior be accepted from 1 November 2023?

Yes, glass wine and spirit bottles purchased before 1 November 2023 are eligible for a refund. It is very difficult to identify when most containers may have been sold, so for customer convenience and to maintain a good user experience they are accepted for a refund. 

Will the value of wine and spirit bottles be the same as the existing containers?

Yes. 10-cents is legislated by the Queensland Government and is the refund amount for customers for each eligible container.

What are we doing about bottles that won’t fit through container counting machines and RVMs?

COEX has been working with the providers of this technology and the results of testing to date shows most new containers will be accepted through these machine types.  

We are co-ordinating a customer service team to attend unstaffed RVMs from launch day to assist customers and identify any bottles not being accepted by the machines.  

Have more questions?

Contact your Regional Manager for further support or email our operations team below.

Email operations team