Australian Beverages Council Applauds Queensland Milestone of Seven Billion Drinks Containers Recovered for Recycling
For immediate release
Date: 11 September 2023
SYDNEY – The Australian Beverages Council Limited (ABCL) is delighted to see the continued momentum of Containers for Change, the state’s container refund scheme (CRS), surpassing seven billion drink containers in a second key milestone this year.
“We are delighted to see that the winter months did not slow down Queenslanders’ veracity for recycling through Containers for Change” said ABCL CEO Geoff Parker. “We applaud COEX’s continued dedication to expanding container collection, along with Queenslanders’ support for sustainable recovery practices. It’s no wonder over a billion containers have been collected this year.”
“To date, more than $700 million dollars has been returned to Queenslanders, including almost $11 million to community groups and charities.” said Parker. “This doesn’t only represent money back to consumers and charities, it represents a reduction of waste from landfill, increased jobs in the waste and resource recovery industries, and a robust, thriving circular economy for Australia’s materials. We look forward to the inclusion of glass wine and spirits bottles from 1 November and encourage the Queensland government and Containers for Change to explore how the scheme can go even further to collect a wider range of recyclable consumer packaging.”
The ABCL participates in a range of sustainability initiatives including directly with container refund schemes, is an active participant on national and international consultation groups and assists its members to achieve their sustainability goals. We are a proud member of APCO and a signatory to the ANZPAC Plastics Pact.
ABOUT
The Australian Beverages Council Ltd (ABCL) is the peak body representing the non-alcoholic beverage industry. Our Membership comprises of small, medium-sized and large companies. Collectively these companies produce over 95% of the industry’s volume. Our members make a substantial $7+ billion contribution to the Australian economy each year, and nationally employ over 46,000 people. Every one job in the industry supports 4.9 jobs in the supply chain.
Contact: Cathy Cook, Head of Corporate Affairs
Phone: 0406 399 211
Email: cathy@ausbev.org