Trials of an initiative that allows residents to recycle their used drink containers in public areas have been expanded to incorporate more parks, reserves and open spaces across the Redlands Coast mainland.
Mayor Jos Mitchell said Container Exchange Points were helping to reduce litter and improve recycling in these areas while also making it easier for the community to cash in on the 10-cent refund offered through the Containers for Change scheme.
“There are so many benefits to this initiative and we are grateful to be working with Container Exchange (COEX)—the not-for-profit that runs Queensland’s container refund scheme—to trial recycling exchange points in some of our most popular public spaces,” the Mayor said.
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“The trial was launched in select areas of Cleveland earlier this year to assist Council with meeting some of its recycling goals and to reduce the frequency and volume of recyclable bottles either being left in public spaces or lost to landfill through general waste bins.
“Since then, four new suburbs have been added to the pilot – Mount Cotton, Victoria Point, Capalaba and Wellington Point – more than doubling the number of exchange points available on the mainland.
“The main public areas in the five participating suburbs experience some of the highest footfall on Redlands Coast, particularly during the holiday season, so we know these exchange points will make a positive difference for our community.
“They will also help residents separate out their waste to ensure the right items are going in the right bins and we’re not losing precious recyclable materials to landfill.”
Container Exchange Points are attached to the outside of Council bins and contain six slots for depositing empty recyclable drink containers such as glass bottles or aluminum cans.
Containers placed in the receptacles can be collected by members of the public and cashed in at any Containers for Change refund point, where each bottle and can recycled earns a 10-cent refund.
The Mayor said the social benefits of providing the community with easy and clean access to used drink containers for the refund scheme was one of the key factors in Council’s decision to work with COEX on expanding the exchange point trial.
“It’s fantastic that our community can help out their fellow Redlanders while also contributing to the circular economy and keep our Redlands Coast pristine,” the Mayor said.
“Money earned through the Containers for Change program can make a difference to the household budget including helping residents put money back into their weekly expenses.
“According to Containers for Change, 1.8 billion containers—including more than 50 million in the Redlands—had been recycled through the scheme to December 2024, helping to grow our circular economy as we move towards a zero-waste future.
“Container Exchange has advised us that a lack of container collection bins in public spaces is a key contributor to recyclable drink containers ending up in landfill so we are proud to be backing in this initiative with an expansion of the trial.”
Container Exchange CEO Natalie Roach said she was delighted to see CEPs being rolled out to new locations throughout the Redlands.
“The Redlands were one of our first Council partners and from the very beginning they’ve demonstrated a strong commitment to container recycling,” she said.
“Container Exchange Points are the perfect container recycling solution for public spaces—they’re low cost, easy to maintain and completely serviced by community collectors.
“They’re a great example of our commitment to innovation, community building and most of all, circularity.
“For Councils, Container Exchange Points are the easiest way to make sure eligible containers are recycled and kept out of landfill and the natural environment.”
Container Exchange Points are available in the following locations (multiple units may be available at each site):
Cleveland
- Cleveland Harbour
- Cleveland CBD
- Raby Bay Foreshore
- Cleveland Point Reserve
Victoria Point
- Les Moore Park
- Yeo Park
- Victoria Point Reserve
Capalaba
- Capalaba Regional Park
Mount Cotton
- Mount Cotton Community Park
Wellington Point
- Wellington Point Reserve
- Wellington Point CBD
Redland City Council provides a suite of services to 166,873 residents and more than 63,000 residential households across Redlands Coast. Our naturally wonderful city on Quandamooka Country is home to more than 335 kilometres of coastline, six island communities and 12 mainland suburbs.
