Frequently Asked Questions

Most eligible drink containers between 150mL and 3L with the Queensland 10c refund mark can be returned. If you are unsure, our team can help or you can view our eligible containers guide.

Yes. Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange can accept crushed containers if our team can clearly identify them as eligible.

Plain milk containers of all sizes, including plant-based milk substitutes, are not eligible.

No. You do not need to remove lids before returning eligible containers.

No. You can bring eligible containers to the depot and our machines or team can help process them.

You can choose cash on the spot, electronic payment through your Containers for Change Member Number, or donate your refund to a participating charity or community group.

Yes. We can help with shopping bags, wheelie bins, ute loads, trailers and commercial quantities.

Yes. Quote your Member Number when you return eligible containers and your refund can be paid to your nominated bank account or PayPal account.

Bag Drop refunds are processed after bags are collected, counted and submitted through your Containers for Change Member Number.

Yes. Our Bag Drop locations are available 24/7, including outside depot hours and on public holidays.

Clearly write your Containers for Change Member Number on every bag. We also recommend adding your mobile number.

No. Bag Drop is not instant cash. Use the Sandgate depot counter if you want cash on the spot.

You can use Bag Drop at Sandgate, Bracken Ridge, Brighton and DFO Brisbane. Sandgate is the preferred location.

Send the team your organisation, site, volume and access details. If the service is approved, Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange recommends and supplies the agreed bins free of charge. Message the team when the bins are around 90% full and they will organise free commercial pickup.

When you first start, message the team when your bins reach around 90% full and Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange will organise the next collection. Once enough collection history exists, regular scheduled servicing can be discussed if it would work better for your site.

Yes. Approved commercial collection partners receive their agreed ongoing bins free of charge. Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange recommends the right setup based on your workplace, available space, expected volume, collection point and access.

Yes. Schools, early learning centres, P&Cs and education providers can use eligible container returns as a fundraising pathway through Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange.

Event support can be discussed for fetes, sports days, movie nights and other school activities where eligible containers are collected. Availability depends on the event and approved arrangement.

Sporting clubs, charities, churches, Scouts and Guides groups, Rotary clubs, community groups, not-for-profit organisations and local causes can speak with Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange about a Containers for Change fundraising pathway.

No. Many fundraisers begin with one donation point, one Member Number and a small group of supporters. Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange can help you start with a simple setup and grow over time.

Containers for Change is Queensland's container refund scheme. It encourages people to return eligible beverage containers for a 10-cent refund, helping reduce litter and increase recycling.

The Queensland scheme launched on 1 November 2018.

Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange accepts, counts and records eligible containers, processes refunds, separates material streams and prepares the material for collection through the wider Containers for Change network.

The calculator provides general estimates, not exact measured outcomes. It applies published lifecycle-analysis factors to the number of eligible containers entered.

The factors are based on figures published by the ACT Container Deposit Scheme for its Impact Calculator, using lifecycle-analysis findings for drink containers returned through the NSW Return and Earn scheme.

Our depot is at 81 Kempster Street, Sandgate QLD 4017, opposite the Sandgate PCYC.

Yes. The depot is set up for customers arriving by car, ute or trailer.

Each eligible container accepted through Queensland's Containers for Change scheme is worth 10 cents.

You can return eligible containers at Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange, 81 Kempster Street, Sandgate QLD 4017.

Yes. Eligible plastic bottles, glass bottles, cans and liquid paperboard cartons can receive the 10-cent refund when accepted through the scheme.

In-store depot customers may choose cash according to normal operating procedures. Standard Bag Drop refunds are processed electronically.

You do not need a Member Number for an in-store cash refund. A valid Member Number is used for electronic payments, donations and Bag Drop returns.

You do not need to sort everything before arriving. Separate eligible containers onto the glass, plastics and aluminium belts as you use the machine.

Depot hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm and Saturday and Sunday, 8:00am to 4:00pm. Closed public holidays.

Standard Bag Drop refunds use a valid Containers for Change Member Number. At the Sandgate Bag Drop only, you can label every bag with your name, phone number and 'Cash', then collect the cash during trading hours after our team messages you.

Look for the Queensland 10c refund mark. Not every can or drink container is eligible, so check the full eligibility guide if you are unsure.

Yes. Sandgate Bottle & Can Exchange offers Home Collections in 21 listed North Brisbane suburbs. Visit the Home Collections page to check the service area and first-collection requirements.

Yes. Commercial collections are a separate service for businesses and organisations across approved North Brisbane service areas.