Recycling will be even more rewarding. A development application for a recycling depot proposed for Geebung has been lodged and is awaiting Council’s approval.
TOMRA Collection Solutions targets to deliver the container refund depot before the State Government’s Container Refund Scheme starts.
Container Refund Scheme
The Government’s Container Refund Scheme (CRS) named as ‘Containers for Change‘ will let Queenslanders get a 10-cent refund when they recycle drink containers.
According to Minister for Environment Leeanne Enoch, nearly three billion containers are used by Queenslanders each year. These are the second most commonly littered item in the environment.
Credit: Containers for Change QLD/YouTube
“Containers for Change will give Queenslanders an incentive to collect and return used containers for recycling,” Ms Enoch said.
“This scheme will help improve recycling rates, reduce litter, providing a funding stream for our charities and community groups, and grow new business and employment opportunities across the state,” she added.
The Queensland Government has appointed the management of the scheme to Container Exchange (CoEx). Containers for Change will start on 1 November 2018.
Accessible Modern Depot
The planned container refund depot also referred to as a modern depot is located at 428 Bilsen Road, Geebung.
As stated in their operational statement submitted to the Council, TOMRA’s proposed modern depot will be different from other container refund depots. These depots are typically located in heavy industrial areas, out of town, with a manual only counting of returns.
On the contrary, TOMRA’s modern depot will be accessible and all operations will be happening indoors, in a clean and conditioned space. Their modern depot will also utilise fully automated Reverse Vending Machines (RVM’s), similar in appearance to an ATM.
TOMRA’s recycling depot also proposes a Bag Drop facility. With this, customers can drop off bags of containers for later counting by TOMRA employees. Both the RVM and Bag Drop options provide a refund to the customer.
TOMRA will be sending refunds on a cashless basis either through electronic payment or printed voucher. Customers can also choose to donate the refund to a charity.
TOMRA plans to operate the modern depot from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. seven days a week. The collection of containers will be occurring from Monday to Saturday.
To learn more about the recycling depot proposed for Geebung, check out the Application Details for A004972932.