The Mount Isa City Council has applied to the State Government to be a Container Refund Point site when the refund scheme commences on Thursday, November 1, 2018.
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Deputy Mayor Phil Barwick said the scheme aims to increase the rate of recycling and to reduce the impact of container litter on the environment.
“In exchange for empty plastic containers members of the community will receive a 10 cent refund,” Cr Barwick said.
The Council will have collection points at various locations around the city, including the local dump.
“The main collection point will be a traditional depot-style, which will have a permanent location and an operator.
“The person returning the containers will be paid on the spot,” he said.
Eligible containers are between 150ml and 3L and can range from fruit juice, flavoured milk, to carbonated soft drinks and energy/sport drink containers.
Some alcoholic beverages, beer and spirit containers other than glass are also acceptable.
“The provision of a mobile trailer will be available for events or for use by community groups to collect containers and to be returned to the Container Refund Point for the refund amount.
“It is expected this service will be free of charge.”
In the past Mount Isa City Council has participated in several pilot programs.
“They recycled green waste for a while,” Cr Barwick said.
“Many years ago they recycled cardboard and glass but apart from that it hasn't been extensive.
Cr Barwick said we should know if we have been successful in our application by June.
The waste reduction and recycling Act 2011 was amended by the Queensland Government in September 2017 to provide for the introduction of a state-wide Container Refund Scheme.
Drink containers are the second most littered item after cigarette butts. Interestingly, nearly all drinking containers can be recycled, however most end up in landfill.