By Chelsea Ravizza
January 2024 saw a new mammoth monthly record set for the Containers for Change Scheme across Queensland, with 175,805,461 containers returned for a refund and recycling. This outstanding total surpasses the previous record set in January of 2023 of 157,525,681, and Rachael Coleman of NQ Green Solutions continues to be blown away by the Burdekin’s recycling efforts.
NQ Green Solutions recycled 1,133,972 containers in January, and the depot shows no sign of slowing. Recycling almost 350,000 more containers in January of 2024 than January of 2023, Rachael believes this increase can be owed to various factors.
“A number of factors have contributed to our surge in number for January in the Burdekin like the expansion of our Container Collect Service to include areas such as Giru and Ravenswood, our online booking app, sponsorship, large community involvement, and awareness about the scheme and what if offers,” explained Rachael.
The Queensland Government’s Containers for Change Scheme was introduced in November of 2018, and has since received more than 7.75 billion containers, and refunded more than $775 million to Queenslanders.
Rachael and her team have seen many new customers come through their deport in response to the cost-of-living crisis, and Container Exchange CEO, Natalie Roach, believes the Containers for Change Scheme exists as a widely beneficial tool to combat this struggle.
“At a time when many are facing cost of living pressures, Containers for Change has returned more than $780 million to Queenslander’s’ back pockets,” explained Ms Roach.
“Containers for Change has also supported more than 935 jobs across Queensland, with many of these in regional areas, benefitting the local economy.”
The scheme’s expansion to include glass wine and spirit bottles from the beginning of November in 2023 is believed to be one of the main contributing factors to the record-breaking figures.
“We have had an overwhelming response to the addition of glass wine, and spirit bottles to the Container refund Scheme since its introduction, but January saw massive growth across all container variants,” expressed Rachael.
“Since we opened our doors, we have recycled and saved over 37 million containers from landfill, and I couldn’t be prouder of the Burdekin and their participation in the entire scheme, as every week the numbers just blow me away.”
Caption: Charley Ruskin and Caitlin McDonnell of NQ Green Solutions. Photo supplied
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