General News
14 May, 2020
Cash for containers continues to operate
Across Queensland locals have been sitting on their containers and plastic bottles for months not knowing that the local Cash for Containers depot was still fully operational.
Across Queensland locals have been sitting on their containers and plastic bottles for months not knowing that the local Cash for Containers depot was still fully operational.
Cash for Containers is set up under the ‘Containers for Change’ scheme and targets containers that are predominantly used and thrown away; cans, bottles, milk bottles ect, sorts them into categories where they are then sent to Cairns to be pressed and sold to recycling companies.
The local depot on the Tablelands is located in Mareeba and been open for over a year and was a huge hit with locals originally.
With the small size of the Mareeba depot, contactless drops is a bit out of reach but Manager Steven Joseph Bradley assures the public that all regulations are followed in the depot.
“The number of containers we had coming in dropped drastically when the COVID-19 pandemic really hit, we lost about half of what we were originally doing,” he said.
“People were worried about coming in and getting a fine, but we observe social distancing and follow all the rules and regulations set by the government.
“With the introduction of this program we have seen a difference in the amount of containers littered around the community.”
Containers for Change has seen a massive increase in donated containers right across the board the Tablelands has even seen a half a million increase in donated containers from March 2019 to March 2020.
Containers for Change spokesperson Adam Nicholson has stated that the monthly volumes on the Tablelands have more than doubled.
“Our monthly recycled container volumes in the Tablelands this March more than doubled compared to 12 months ago,” he said.
“Recycling has grown quickly since Containers for Change launched 18 months ago and the COVID-19 measures we’ve implemented haven’t stopped that trend.
“We’re continuing to implement physical distancing and hygiene measures at each site, as well as increasing the number of ‘contactless’ options across the network.”
If you’ve got a bag of beers cans or bottles sitting at home you can bring them to the local Mareeba depot at 11 Bowers St in the Mareeba Industrial Park and get 10c for each can or bottle you donate.
