A modern Tingalpa recycling depot will be developed in time for the “Go Live” date of the Container Refund Scheme on 1 November. TOMRA has lodged a development application for a recycling and deposit refund depot located at 302-308 New Cleveland Road, Tingalpa.
TOMRA has taken lease of the subject property for the re-use and fit-out of the existing building tenancy of the purpose of Container Refund Depot. The depot will be used for receiving and transferring eligible drink containers between 150mL and 3L in size for a refund of 10 cents. The project is in line with Queensland Government’s Container Refund Scheme (CRS).
As stated in TOMRA’s application letter, the depot will operate based on the following:
- Monday to Sunday 7am to 7pm, excluding deliveries / collection on Sunday.
- Collection of containers by MRV or similar industrial standard collection truck to occur Monday to Saturday 7am to 7pm.
- The use is conducted wholly indoors, with the loading of containers onto the collection truck to occur within the building with roll-door shut.
- Collection trucks will service each depot approximately four times a day (excluding Sunday) outside of the hours 7pm to 7am.
About the Container Refund Scheme
By incentivizing consumers to return their empty beverage containers, the Container Refund Scheme or “Containers for Change,” aims to reduce the amount of plastic waste from container litter through recycling.
“The Container Refund Scheme will encourage recycling while also reducing the amount of plastic we see in the environment,” The Minister for Environment Leeanne Enoch said in a media statement in August 2018.
Video credit: Containers for Change QLD/YouTube
“There will be a range of different type of refund point options such as permanent depot-style points, bag drops and reverse vending machines.
“Some container refund points will be mobile and use the ‘pop up’ concept to ensure the reach of our scheme extends into regional and remote areas.
“By providing a range of convenient and accessible refund point solutions more Queenslanders will be able to participate in and benefit from the scheme,” Ms Enoch said.
Implementing Organisation and Operator
Container Exchange (CoEx), the Government appointed Product Responsibility Organisation (PRO) for the CRS, will implement a total of 230 refund points across the state by November 1st.
The refund points are the sites where residents can return their eligible empty beverage containers for a refund of ten cents for each container. The returned beverage containers are then collected for recycling.
TOMRA, Global sensor-based solutions provider and reverse vending leader, is one of the official operators of the Container Refund Scheme. They are expected to operate a total of 10 refund points which will be located in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba areas.
TOMRA Reverse Vending Machine
Photo credit: TOMRA Collection Solutions/tomra.com
“Each depot will be equipped with 9-12 TOMRA reverse vending machines, a bag-drop option and TOMRA’s Bulk Collection Systems to handle returns of large numbers of containers. The popular myTOMRA app will also provide opportunity for electronic payout of recycling refunds and details on depot locations and opening hours,” TOMRA’s website said.
The Tingalpa depot, along with other TOMRA modern depots, will be a clean and convenient location for consumers to return their empty containers. The “front of house”, a clean and air-conditioned area, is where the customers will enter and complete their returns.
How to Participate in Containers for Change
To participate, consumers should follow four key steps:
- Collect eligible containers
- Create your scheme account
- Take your containers to a refund point
- Collect your refund or make a donation
Excluded Beverage Containers:
Generally excluded containers are those that are less than 150ml and greater than 3L. Other excluded containers include:
- Any plain milk containers
- Any glass containers which have contained wine or pure spirits
- Containers 1L or more which have contained flavoured milk, pure fruit or vegetable juice, cask wine or cask water
- Concentrated/undiluted cordial or syrup containers
- Sachets above 250ml which have contained wine
- Registered health tonics
Plain milk bottles, glass wine bottles, and other excluded containers that can still be recycled may be dropped at existing kerbside collection or drop-off services.
For information and more updates, you may check the Containers for Change or Containers Exchange website.
302-308 New Cleveland Road, Tingalpa