Queensland’s container refund scheme Containers for Change is one of Australia’s most effective and fastest-growing container recycling programs.
Since Containers for Change launched on 1 November 2018, over 12.5 billion containers have been recovered for recycling through Queensland’s container refund scheme.
The scheme also continues to have a strong community impact, proudly providing an avenue for charities, schools and community groups to receive meaningful donations.
Scheme to date highlights (October 2025):
The 2025 financial year marked several achievements for Queensland’s container refund scheme.
Our Annual Reports shine a light on the people, communities and organisations making real change through the Containers for Change scheme.
More than 2 in 3 eligible beverage containers sold in Queensland are recovered through the container refund scheme.
Before Containers for Change, just 18% of eligible containers sold in Queensland were recycled.
Queensland’s statewide container recovery rate is calculated using the formulae in section 29 of the Waste Reduction and Recycling (Container Refund Scheme) Amendment Regulation 2018.
It considers:
Regional recovery rates are calculated based on the local population and the number of containers sold.
| Region | FY25 Volume (number of containers recovered) | FY25 Recovery Rate |
|---|---|---|
| North Queensland | 288.5 million | 80.9% |
| Central Queensland | 227.7 million | 80.9% |
| South West Queensland | 174.3 million | 69.6% |
| Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay | 360.1 million | 78.6% |
| Greater Brisbane and Gold Coast | 1.2 billion | 59.6% |
| Queensland total | 2.2 billion | 67.1% |
The scheme offers multiple container return options for consumers and businesses, including full-service depots, self-service machines, 24-hour bag drops, mobile collections, and home and business pickup services.
As of 30 September 2025, there were 402 sites across Queensland where customers can return their eligible beverage containers in exchange for the 10-cent refund, including:
Containers for Change provides a clean and reliable source of materials, supporting the circular economy and remanufacturing sector in Queensland, Australia and internationally.
COEX is legally required to ensure that every eligible container returned through the scheme is recycled and does so through a network of accredited recyclers.
The scheme also recovers, where possible, containers that are put in the yellow-top bin, with the refund paid to Material Recycling Facilities.
Read the latest material report here.
| Container type | FY25 Volume (number of containers recovered) | % of scheme material | Recycler location(s) | On-shore recycling available |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass | 543.2 million | 24.2% |
|
Yes |
| Aluminium | 1.1 billion | 47.8% |
|
Limited |
| Polyethylene Terephthalate
(PET) |
543.2 million | 24.2% |
|
Yes |
| Liquid paperboard | 41.1 million | 1.8% |
|
Limited |
| High-density polyethylene
(HDPE) |
39.6 million | 1.77% |
|
Yes |
| Steel | 1.5 million | <0.1% |
|
Yes |
