Really great service that has saved a lot of time dropping off bottles and cans for myself and my local sports club!
Usually you get $0.07 per can or bottle and they pocket the $0.03 for their troubles, which seems totally fair and reasonable given the logistics involved. However, it seems as though one of their old coupon codes is still working with FALLPICKUP giving you 100% cashback on your next pickup.
See this previous deal discussing Re-Collect for more details
Referrers get $15.
blame your government they have been slow to implement a scheme
You are better off.
Doesn't that just mean you're not paying the upfront cost for the deposit on the can?
On your pickup day, label your bags and place them outside by 8am. The driver will pick them up and take them to our depot for counting.
Ummm… they'd last about 10 minutes at my place before someone collects them for themselves.
Happened to me too. They said to leave it at front door instead of the curb.
My front door IS the curb (no, I don't live on the street - my house just directly fronts the footpath).
Guess I'm stuck schlepping these cans to the Return & Earn machines.
Just throw them in the bin
Don't most of the places with the return & earn machines allow you to drop off tagged bags as well? I seem to recall there was some way to drop off tagged bags
100% agree.
that was first thing i noticed when looked at website.
https://www.containersforchange.com.au/qld/
10c and does pickup for an ok amount of stuff. Been 10c for while.
How do they make money at 10c per can? Or even 7c? Surely it must cost at least $100/hr to keep a truck on the road collecting cans and delivering back to the depot?
Is there another rebate / carbon credit / etc at play here?
my guess is govt subsidy..
That or they're shortchanging you on the count.
the schemes are not going to allow that to happen and a organisation the size of RE aren't going to purposely shortchange people to make money they'd lose their contract, not saying it doesn't happen by mistake or through spilled bags / poor counting
the schemes are not going to allow that to happen
Sorry who is not going to allow that to happen?
The base rate manufacturing award employee counting the containers?
The depot management who are employed by the mob as the collection service?
Or are you saying that state scheme coordinators like WARRRL are sending inspectors to enforce a third party arrangement for collection and processing of containers?
Do thwy count it one by one?
I found if you go to the ones where they hand-count them in bulk, that they do the opposite. Not sure if it's a money laundering thing, or just work-for-the-dole kids who can't be bothered counting.
NDIS probably…/s
either subsidy from the scheme or running at a loss
…..beverage containers are sorted by material type and returned to the super collector which pays a handling fee to the collection depot
They receive 13c a can for processing them, so 3c net profit.
I'm guessing a lot of their workers are govt. scheme placements
Appreciate this works for others but had a hell of a time with where ever they sent the pickup to under counting my old folks collection by 500+ cans followed by the actual payout not hitting their bank account for about 4 weeks after the money was "in" their ReCollect account. Multiple contacts to support went unanswered for quite awhile. Hopefully it's much smoother for everyone else
which state? contact the scheme directly it'll get sorted quicker than contacting RE
Sorry was in WA. Next step was contacting the scheme but luckily someone finally got back in touch and sorted the payment, apparently there was some hold up with accounts, couldn't really give me a straight answer. The banking details was being blamed for a hot minute before they confirmed they were indeed correct! Fun times
next time go straight to containers for change (COEX) they will resolve it quicker for you
what happens do these containers once they're sorted by the collector?
they are normally bailed then auctioned off by type / weight on a private auction site with the exception of glass which generally goes straight to the likes of Visy
Probably the same as what Woolworths do with their recycled plastic bags.
(Store them in huge warehouses and wait for them to burn down)
https://www.smh.com.au/national/fire-signalled-fatal-end-to-…
that was Redcycle, there's a market especially for aluminium cans which return good money it's items like LPB (juice poppers etc) which don't have any value. Remember a lot of the plastic bottles are now made from recycled plastic so they need to source that. Also Containers for Change (QLD / WA) is a NFP owned by Coca Cola & Lion Nathan, make your own mind up about that
That's very different. The issue is that nobody really wants soft plastics, they're of limited utility and borderline environmental benefit. On the other hand, cans are probably one of the single most economical things to recycle due to the large amounts of electricity used to make aluminium. Also, there's a government subsidy which certain helps.
Minimum 150 containers.
Which leads to the obvious question … if they collect them first, then take them to be counted, what do they do if the person hasn't noticed the restriction, and there isn't 150 in pickup?
They could not pay you if you dont have 150
Why not available in SA? SA was the first State to implement a container deposit scheme.
likely RE Group aren't operating there, the SA scheme is long established & mature, a lot of this about promoting making it easier for people & increasing recycle rates
Now that I am thinking about it, the bags full of cans and bottles wouldn't last 5 minutes outside. People would grab them instantly. There are quiet a few places you can take your cans and bottles for 10 cents each. But I am not aware of any company collecting it from your house.
i still prefer to toss them in bin ngl
cause i aint wanting to travel (waste fuel, money) then waste like 20 mins or so in big big lineups to just start to count them at depo
i"d say $10 is cost itself for all travel, fuel, time, inconvenience, anything less than that I'd say I'd be loosing $$.
once i was so sick of waiting in the queue i just left cans there in line and went home (cause its such a time waste, no 24 hr machine either, only like 10-4 at various depo's around metro SA)
Luckily my local one is in the carpark of the supermarket I shop at, so it's no additional cost for me to do so.
But yes, ours is an automated machine but it too has certain hours of operation {8am to 8pm I think), not sure why that is.
For SA, you can look at these guys: https://www.direct-collect.com.au/plans
They give the option of a 6c cut or pay a once off $35 fee for a 7c cut (or donate all 10c to charity), so a little more 'expensive'. On the plus side, they do provide a dedicated bin.
just had a look on website, seems very fishy ngl them saying 10cents to charity (also say in small font charity receives 7 cents out of it).
also they probably make a decent profit with $35 one of payment too + $40 for an extra bin ??
Yeah good catch re: the charity. Fair enough that they need to fund the service, but very deceptive way of wording it. They likely also get the tax benefits of the donations.
Also Backyard Cash
https://app.backyardcash.net.au/
A friend of mine has used them for quite a few months now. I heard no complaints from him so far.
So we've been learning that recycling is a scam, you can find lots of news on how it's not actually possible recycle the amount of waste produced. If you're doing it for cash, well, go off
https://www.npr.org/2020/09/11/897692090/how-big-oil-misled-…
Sad to say but in many cases industry is much more wasteful the sum of individual consumers counter-efforts.
Its easy to do something to feel green at the household level, but really the regulation that could make a difference wont ever happen.
What's wrong the the good old yellow bin?
Sounds like a scheme to drive the economy (not necessarily a bad thing) than doing good for the environment.
Everybody pay first, jump through hoops to get your money back, or let the scavengers to go through your yellow bins.
There's no net gain in recycling, just a whole bunch of work created around it and money changing hands. Wait, what about the carbon footprint as a result of building and running all those collection facilities and trucks making all those trips that weren't necessary before?
Victorian here.. And I have to say since the container recycling scheme started several months ago, the walks and bike rides do appear a whole lot cleaner.
Definitely encourages recycling and a cleaner environment. Win win imo.
Well, it’s not win-win for the consumers. Drinks are more expensive because they pay for the bottles upfront.
Either accept the higher cost or do extra work to take part in the scheme.
What used to be chucking a bottle into the yellow bin at the doorstep becomes storing bottles in the garage, drive to a collection centre, hope a machine is working, pray no professional collectors are hogging the machines. It is a major chore.
fully agreed,
It needs to be what it used to be here in Australia (and is also current for some countries overseas) which is Return To Store for deposit. No dramas at all for me to return my containers from the week to the supermarket when I do my weekly shop, happy even if it's just a credit off my shop. Extra work for the supermarket sure but eff them, they can install RVM's.
It's more than ridiculous I've got to store up a whole heap for pick up or otherwise have to trek to a deposit location.
@wavesgreen: Still, that involves storing loads of bottles and having a build up of ants or worse attracted to wherever you're storing them (for those that don't rinse them all out one by one).
Then, forget about going to do the shopping on your drive home from work, you got to remember to drive home first, pick up your ant infested box of bottles, put them in your nice clean car and hope to God you rinsed them out well enough, or the first roundabout you take and your car boot will reek of beer for the rest of the week.
I'm sure it's no skin off some people's nose, but it can be a massive pain in the ass for some people, depending on circumstances.
I agree. It's of marginal environmental benefit, the utility is mostly financial.
Essentially, instead of the council getting the subsidy, you pay somebody to drive over and you both share the subsidy. Either way it gets recycled.
The thing I can think of is it's to encourage people who need the money to dumpster dive. Seen it many locations, they go to a bin and pick out the cans that people who are lazy have dropped into the red bin.
Not saying that I agree with it but I've seen it in action where it hasn't occurred previously.
Probably because people CBF using the yellow bin to start with so now there is at least some incentive in saving the cans/bottles to get your 10c back.
If someone is that much of a lazy fu*k that they don't even put their recycling in their recycling bin, I guarantee you 10c a can is not going to incentivise them to collect all their cans seperately, store them and make a trip then feed them into a machine or possibly organise one of these type of mobs to pick them up for them (if they are in a serviced area).
The deposit in NSW is 18c and the refund is 10c
What happens to the deposits that don’t get refunded?
Its like the 25c paper bags at the supermarket, the whole thing is a money making scheme, not the environment.
You think governments banned plastic bags just so Woolies can sell you one for 25c?
Every thing in the shop is wrapped in free plastic,
The deposit system benefits colesworth, why not the bags?
@Stewardo: Well, the plastic isn't free. The cost of the item includes the packaging.
I'm sure you won't believe me but I can assure you the entire purpose of the plastic bag ban wasn't so Woolies and Coles could sell you bags.
If you don't want to pay 25c have you considered reusable bags?
How does the deposit system benefit the supermarkets?
@larndis: The fruit and veg bags are free, as is the plastic toys/kitchenware you get with a large spend. The groceries are flown in from around the world.
I don’t disagree on plastic and think it should be phased out.
I do bring my own reusable bags (made of nylon in a sweatshop somewhere)
The meat which is 3x the price that it should be, is also wrapped in plastic, in packs that are more than you need and not great quality.
The deposit scheme in NSW is 18c per container and a 10c refund. Where does all the money go? What percent is returned, Where is the information about the scheme? Where does the used plastic go?
Plastic garbage bags are $2 for 50 in supermarkets.
If they were serious about single use plastic, they would ban it and not profit from it.
The idea that these companies care about the environment, farmers, customers, staff, etc is hilarious.
They care about public image and share price, meeting their KPI’s, quarterly targets.
Do you seriously thing a bag ban is about a genuine concern for the environment? Or an eastern suburbs political metric?
Keep buying from our partners exclusively and meet your minimum spend per month and we will give you a plastic toy and points in our parallel currency. One day might be able convert your points on a business class ticket to Europe!
@Stewardo: Who said the supermarkets care about the environment? The ban wasn't their idea. All the plastic packaging, including fruit and veg bags, are built into the pricing.
The website for the NSW scheme is here: https://returnandearn.org.au, if you have questions not answered on the website you can submit an enquiry here: https://returnandearn.org.au/contact-us
You seem to be conflating a whole lot of gripes you have with supermarkets and governments. Maybe shop elsewhere if it bothers you so much.
@larndis: I understand how the scheme works, its the lack of transparency around the financials.
It’s a money making scheme, as are the 25c paper bags.
Thanks for your well thought out reply, you would make an excellent public servant.
Having one vehicle go around collecting them is likely better for the environment than everyone going to drop off themselves.
Do you need to rinse the bottles in WA?
You have to drive them to SA first to wash, then drive back unfortunately. On the plus side you can collect all the filthy piss bottles from the filthy truck drivers and add them to your stash.
After many terrible experiences with Envirobank pods I did my first Containers for Change pick up this week. They turned up on time, 10 bags, money in my account same day. Brilliant.
These guys didn't tell me that they withdrew from my area, leaving my 5+ bags uncollected and refused to stop giving me spam..
Often the refund would be a lower amount of cans too thinking you wouldn't know.
Don't forget buyer pays for the scheme at least in WA.
On average in WA, you're paying 12.66 to13.93 cents to claim 10 cent back.
Yep, and yet idiots beg for more things to be added to the stupid scheme. Should have seen the Facebook mums super excited that wine bottles would soon get them 10c in Qld.
Money should just have been spent improving our recycling system so we could just put recycling in the recycling bin like a civilised country and not have boxes of cans stacked in our garages just because we don't want to throw out $40 or whatever.
Works the other way, I know people who dump all their recycling into the red bin now because it's too far and too much effort required.
And now they can do it guilt free because they're like oh well I paid the tax to throw it in the red bin so it's all good, I've paid for the privilege to not recycle it.
the manufacturer pays for this cost directly (and then passes the cost indirectly to consumer/buyer who then finally pays extra $$ for the recycling).
ref Up to a 30% Service Fee,, so how many visits do you get fee free with code FALLPICKUP before the service fee kicks in again ? can you cancel it anytime or are you locked in?
Yet to look properly at deal posted.
In my local area, WA … Morley/Bassendean/Beechboro they've had a similar scheme for 2+ years … run by an NFP organisation.
They provide you with a dedicated wheelie bin.
When full - you contact a mobile # - and they come and empty it from your house.
They obviously give you a reduced price … something like 8.2cents per can/bottle (rather than 10 cents) … but then convenience.
Could you please provide the details for the NFP please?
Sounds good - do you have details of the NFP organisation?
Damn I scheduled a pick up for today and no one has arrived. 🫠
My first pickup experience started off well but went downhill from there on and continues to do so.
I recently signed up and scheduled my first pickup in ACT through the app (using the FALLPICKUP voucher to get 10c per item) for 2 x 240 litre thick black garbage bags with each bag clearly labelled with my customer ID, quantity (150 and 163 respectively) ie total 313 bottles and each bag labelled "bag 1 of 2" and "bag 2 of 2" (these were all springwater 600ml bottles and each contained their 10c refund labels that were in intact ie not crushed and in excellent condition), I also entered the quantity on the app scheduled pickup request, each bag was also securely tied closed and both bags given to the driver of the recollect truck that arrived. However 3 days later they counted 2 bags of only 164 bottles and only issued around half of the expected payment! I sent them an email and got an automated inquiry number reply email but haven't heard back for the last 7 days so rang them and got a recorded message that they are unavailable and to email them!
Additionally the app and notifications have conflicting estimated pickup times prior to the pickup day ranging from 6am to 6pm to 8am to 5pm. Also my referal link which is only available on first pickup comes up with "Referer not qualified for referrals"
![[ACT, NSW, QLD, WA] Container Recycling - Free Pickup (You Get $0.10 Per Item, Usually $0.07 Per Item) @ Re-Collect](https://files.ozbargain.com.au/n/28/832628.jpg?h=3668f1ad)
Still not for VIC. :(