It’s time to empty that bottle of wine or spirit as you can now score a 10-cent refund at Express Recycling Noosa thanks to the Containers for Change refund scheme.
Noosa MP Sandy Bolton joined the team on site at 26 Action St, Noosaville to celebrate Queensland becoming the first state in Australia to accept glass wine and spirit bottles for 10-cent refunds.
Express Recycling Noosa site manager Dion Lawrence said people had been looking forward to these bottles joining the scheme.
“Everyone’s really excited about this as we don’t want bottles ending up in landfill,“ Dion said.
His partner Josie Lawrence agreed, as she said, “Our motto is ’small change, big difference’ because we see every little change make a huge impact and have that flow on effect.“
“While some people come in here and recycle for the money factor, a lot of people have shared with us that it changed their mental health and wellbeing.“
Dion said recycling was super simple.
“You bring your bottles in bags and we help you unload through the specialised counting machines,“ he said.
“We offer a number of ways for businesses, sporting clubs, and organisations to get involved. We do commercial pick-ups and residential collection.
“We know it’s not a one size fits all, so there’s a lot of ways you can do it. We also have a 24-bag drop for those who are a part of the Containers for Change scheme.“
The local business owners said the community continued to do an amazing job in recycling eligible beverage containers and saving them from ending up in landfill – leaving a positive environmental footprint.
“We have some incredible businesses, schools, charities, sporting groups and individuals making a real difference in our community through their recycling efforts,“ Josie said.
“The difference these groups are making not only to the environment but also how their redeemed funds are then used is truly inspirational and something to be very proud of.
“We love what we do and we’re lucky that we’ve got an amazing crew of locals who are energetic about recycling and what it is that we’re striving to achieve.“
Container Exchange chief executive officer Natalie Roach said the container refund scheme has had a significant impact on recovery and recycling rates.
“Today also marks five years since Containers for Change launched in Queensland, and in that time we have reached a truly remarkable milestone of more than 7.1 billion containers recycled through the scheme,” she said.
“That is 7.1 billion containers that did not end up as litter or landfill.
“In addition to environmental benefits, Containers for Change has also delivered positive social and economic impacts, with more than $710 million returned to the pockets of Queenslanders since the scheme began, including almost $11 million which has been paid to charities and community groups.
“The scheme has also supported more than 935 jobs across Queensland, with many of these in regional areas, supporting local economies such as here in this fast-growing part of the Sunshine Coast.”
Containers for Change customers are being advised that eligible glass wine and pure spirit containers (150ml up to 3L) returned via the scheme will still receive a 10-cent refund, whether the label includes a refund mark or not. With some wines and spirits having a longer shelf life than other drink products, manufacturers will be given until 1 January 2027 to display the 10-cent refund mark on their product labels.
For more information, visit expressrecycling.com.au/locations/noosa/
