Queenslanders Might Soon Be Able to Score Refunds for Recycling Their Glass Wine and Spirits Bottles
The Queensland Government is looking to add glass wine and spirits bottles to the state's Containers for Change refund scheme.
It's been four years since Queensland's Containers for Change refund scheme launched, doing the planet a solid by encouraging the state's residents to recycle their drink containers, and also giving everyone who participates some cash back for their efforts. It instantly proved popular, receiving more than 102 million empty drink containers in its first two months, rocketing up to over 400 million containers in its first five months and now sitting at more than 5.5 billion recycled containers. We're guessing that adding glass wine and spirits bottles to the program will help ramp up those numbers as well.
The Queensland Government has announced that it's looking to expand Containers for Change, and glass booze containers are in its sights. So, your gin shrine might be able to help the planet, and each bottle might soon score you a ten-cent refund.
"Making more containers eligible for refunds makes it easier for people to recycle, particularly in more regional and remote communities where they mightn't have a recycling bin," said Queensland Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon in a statement.
"From the perspective of Queensland's fast-growing recycling industry, it also means beverage containers can be sorted and manufactured into new products quicker."
The CRS, as the scheme is also known, currently accepts water bottles, beer cans, juice containers and more — saving a hefty amount of aluminium, glass, plastic, steel and liquid paperboard items from landfill and our waterways, with a focus on beverage containers between 150 millilitres and three litres in volume — but glass vino and spirits bottles aren't currently covered.
Before making the change, however, the Queensland Government is seeking input. "Of course, we want to make sure that any decision to expand the scheme to include wine and spirit bottles is one that is backed by the community, so we'll be going out next month to Queenslanders to get their feedback," said Scanlon.
The consultation period is expected to launch in December 2022 and finish in February 2023, seeking Queenslanders' views on nabbing ten-cent refunds for their at-home wine and cocktail drinking.
Until the change is brought in, however, Queenslanders will need to keep popping them in their yellow bins at home — and not getting any money in return.
For more information about Containers for Change, visit the scheme's website — or check out our how-to guide. We'll update you if and when glass wine and spirits bottles are added to the Queensland scheme, and you can keep an eye on the Queensland Government website in the interim.
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