Shopping centre collections

Collections for busy shopping centres

Food courts, tenants and public areas can produce a steady stream of 10c containers. We can help centre management build a collection routine around cleaners, waste arrangements and loading-dock access.

Talk to us about your centre See facilities management

What centre management receives

Clear facts for a shared-site collection

Build the collection around tenants, cleaners, food courts and the centre's approved loading area.

Full 10c refund

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

Free bins and pickup

We recommend bins for the approved centre areas. Agreed ongoing bins and commercial pickup are free for approved partners.

Start at 90% full

The centre contact messages us at around 90% full. Any regular servicing is considered later once actual centre volumes are known.

One workable handover

Confirm tenant roles, cleaning responsibilities, storage and loading-dock access before the collection begins.

Shared responsibility

Give every team a clear part

A centre-wide idea can fail if nobody knows who empties a point or checks contamination. Start with a defined area and spell out the role of each participant.

Centre management

Approves scope, communication, storage, access and how the refund will be used.

Tenants

Separate suitable drink containers in approved tenancy areas.

Cleaning teams

May move and check containers where that work is included in their agreed duties.

Dock and waste teams

Coordinate the final storage area with existing site services.

Across the centre

Treat public and tenant areas differently

A food-court bin faces different contamination risks from a controlled tenant point. The collection plan should reflect that difference.

Food courts

High drink volume may be matched by food, cups and takeaway packaging.

Beverage tenants

Back-of-house points can capture empties before they enter public waste bins.

Common areas

Public points need simple signs, visible placement and an agreed checking routine.

Staff facilities

Centre and tenant staff rooms may offer a lower-contamination starting point.

How it can work

Move containers through existing centre routines

We collect from the agreed centre location. The internal plan explains how containers get there from tenants and public areas.

Choose a defined starting area

Begin with the food court, selected tenants or another manageable part of the centre.
Set roles before launch

Confirm who empties, checks and moves each collection point.
Use one secure storage area

Keep suitable containers separate from general waste at the back of house.
Coordinate dock access

Plan the pickup with security, facilities and other service vehicles.

Real-world result

What one shopping centre returned

In under two months of recorded collections, one shopping centre returned 2,473 eligible drink containers, representing $247.30 in recorded refunds.

2,473 eligible drink containers

$247.30 recorded refunds

Recorded period: 21 July 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 collection team member with a row of green commercial drink-container bins.

Contamination

Keep food-court rubbish out

Clear placement, cleaner involvement and quick feedback are especially important in public areas.

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

Put these in

Empty, eligible aluminium cans, plastic and glass drink bottles, and cartons with 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

Food, coffee cups, takeaway packaging, cardboard, soft plastics, jars, broken glass and general rubbish.

Separate public points

Make the 10c container opening and message distinct from general recycling.

Brief participating tenants

Give tenant staff a short, practical instruction for their own area.

Check before consolidation

Remove obvious rubbish before material reaches the shared storage point.

Act on repeat problems

Change signs, placement or responsibility when one area keeps contaminating the stream.

Your centre setup

Start small enough to manage well

A pilot area can be a sensible first step. The final arrangement should cover participation, bins, internal movement, dock access, refund use and any agreed reporting.

Scope

List the tenants and common areas included at launch.

Existing contractors

Check cleaning and waste contracts before assigning new tasks.

Refunds

Centre management should approve how the recorded refund value is directed.

Review

Use early collection experience to decide whether more areas should be added.

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 food-court containers be included?

Yes, where the centre can separate eligible drink containers from food, cups and takeaway rubbish and move them to the agreed collection area.

Can individual tenants take part?

They can be included with centre approval and a clear internal routine. The centre should explain participation, storage and refund arrangements to each tenant.

Who manages contamination?

Centre management should assign the checking role to the appropriate cleaning, operations or facilities team. We can provide feedback on material presented for collection.

Can you collect from a loading dock?

A dock collection may be possible where storage, access, security and service-vehicle timing are agreed with the centre.

Does this replace our waste contractor?

Not automatically. The container collection needs to work alongside the centre's existing waste and cleaning arrangements.

Can we begin with one part of the centre?

Yes, a clearly defined starting area can make it easier to test roles, contamination and storage before considering a wider rollout.

Next step

Let's find a workable starting point

Tell us which tenants or common areas you want to include, who manages them and where containers could be stored. We'll help shape the next step.

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