Government container collections

Collections for government workplaces

Government offices and facilities can keep 10c drink containers out of general waste with a clear workplace routine. We'll work with the approved contact to understand the site, access and collection requirements.

Talk to us about your government site See office collections

What your facility receives

A service that fits approved site processes

Keep staff and public-area drink containers separate while respecting procurement, security and provider responsibilities.

Full 10c refund

Government entities with an ABN or ACN, and registered charities, receive the full 10c for every eligible container.

Free bins and pickup

We recommend bins for approved source areas. Agreed ongoing bins and pickup are free for approved partners.

Message at around 90%

The approved contact messages us when bins are around 90% full. Regular servicing is considered later using the site's collection history.

Follow site authority

Confirm the authorised contact, provider roles, access controls, reporting needs and procurement pathway before starting.

Professional and practical

Keep the approval path proportionate

A simple staff collection still needs the right owner, but the page does not need to read like procurement paperwork.

Facility contact

Explains the staff areas, storage and day-to-day site routine.

Facilities team

Coordinates cleaners, access and existing waste arrangements.

Procurement or contract owner

Confirms the appropriate approval and commercial process.

Security

Provides visitor and collection access requirements where relevant.

At the facility

Start with ordinary workplace drink areas

The exact setup depends on whether the facility is an office, community venue, depot or another operational site.

Staff kitchens

A straightforward source for ordinary staff cans, bottles and cartons.

Meeting and event areas

Catered activities may need temporary collection and pack-down.

Public facilities

Public points need clear supervision and contamination controls.

Operational sites

Keep staff beverages separate from site-specific operational or regulated waste.

How it can work

Set up the approved facility first

A practical first site can establish the roles and records before another facility is considered.

Confirm scope and approval

Name the participating facility, source areas and authorised owner.
Coordinate existing teams

Agree how cleaners, facilities and security fit into the routine.
Prepare one collection point

Bring suitable containers to secure storage away from other waste streams.
Collect under site rules

Use the visitor, access and record process agreed for that facility.

Real-world result

A real result from one government site

In under eight months of recorded collections, one government department site returned 1,579 eligible drink containers, representing $157.90 in recorded refunds.

1,579 eligible drink containers

$157.90 recorded refunds

Recorded period: 1 January 2026 to 30 August 2026

Actual recorded returns for one participating account during the stated period. Collection dates may include containers accumulated earlier. Results vary with eligible container volume, site activity and collection arrangements; these examples are not sector averages or forecasts.

A staff member placing an eligible drink bottle into a workplace collection box.

Clear scope

Keep the drink-container stream separate

Government facilities may have other waste and record-handling requirements that remain outside this service.

Examples of eligible drink containers, including bottles, cans, cartons and poppers.

Put these in

Empty, eligible cans, plastic and glass drink bottles, and cartons displaying the Queensland 10c refund mark.

Check the detailed eligibility guide

Examples of ineligible containers, including plain milk bottles, cask wine, coffee cups and large juice containers.

Keep these out

General rubbish, food, paper records, operational materials, regulated waste, broken glass and non-eligible packaging.

Use approved signs

Keep the message simple and consistent with the facility's communication process.

Brief service providers

Make sure cleaners and facilities staff know their agreed role.

Check public points

High-use public areas may need more frequent contamination checks.

Keep records separate

Sensitive documents and other workplace material never belong in the container stream.

Your facility setup

Agree only the records the site needs

We'll discuss site access, collection timing, bin options, recorded refunds and reporting with the authorised contact. A result at one facility is not approval for a whole department.

Procurement

Use the organisation's appropriate purchasing or contract pathway.

Facility scope

Record the participating address and areas instead of assuming wider coverage.

Refunds

Confirm how recorded value is handled under the approved arrangement.

Reporting

Ask for information that supports a defined operational or organisational need.

What do approved commercial collection partners receive?

Businesses with an ABN or ACN, and registered charities, receive the full 10c for every eligible container. Approved partners also receive their agreed ongoing bins and commercial pickup free of charge. Other organisations can contact the team to discuss their situation.

How do we start, and who chooses the bins?

Use the commercial collection enquiry and share your organisation, site, volume, storage, access and refund preference. Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange recommends the bin setup. The account, Member Number, payment or donation pathway is confirmed during onboarding, and bin numbers or sizes can be reviewed as real volumes become known.

When will our containers be collected?

When you first start, message the team when the bins are around 90% full and we will organise the collection. Once enough collection history shows the site's normal volume and fill rate, regular servicing can be discussed if it would suit the site.

What if we already have a stockpile of eligible containers?

Mention it in the enquiry. The team will review the amount, storage and access, then explain the most practical way to handle the existing stockpile and the ongoing setup.

Can one government facility start on its own?

Potentially. The facility needs an approved contact, suitable source areas, storage, access and the relevant procurement or contract pathway.

Can cleaners manage the internal collection?

They can if the responsibility is agreed with the cleaning provider and the facility documents the route and storage point.

What records can be provided?

Collection and refund information should be discussed as part of the arrangement. Available detail depends on how the service is set up.

Can public-area containers be included?

They may be considered where the facility can manage placement, contamination and internal movement.

Does one site result represent the whole department?

No. The published result is for one government department site during the stated period.

Can more sites be added later?

Additional facilities can be discussed, but each one needs its own authority, source, storage and access details confirmed.

Next step

Talk to us about your facility

Tell us which site is being considered, who is authorised to discuss it and how containers could reach a collection point.

Talk to us about your government site Call or SMS