Containers for Change App: Turning Waste into Wealth

Queenslanders use over 3 billion drink containers annually, yet millions still end up in landfill. Containers for Change operates a popular container refund scheme offering 10-cents for every returned container to address this issue. We partnered with Containers for Change to further support their scheme and find a way to simplify container returns, educate Queenslanders on recycling and help them track their refunds.

We designed and delivered the Containers for Change app which aims to help eliminate beverage container waste by empowering Queenslanders to join the recycling revolution. The seamless app provides the locations for various return options, including full-service depots, contactless bag drops, reverse vending machines, and home collection. Key features include member number access, return history tracking, a refund point map, an eligibility scanner, and the Container Collect service, which offers free home pickups. Additionally, users can engage with fun and educational games (Recycle Race, Popper Rescue and Container Blitz).

The app has contributed to the overall impact the Containers for Change scheme made last financial year, including 1.9 billion beverage containers returned, 438,199 tones of containers recycled and $166.1 million returned to Queenslanders, including $3.1 million donated to charities. More than 50 million containers have been returned via the in-app home collection booking service. 72,800 customers were surveyed via the app in FY23. Of those surveyed: 94% were satisfied with their experience and 75% were likely to recommend the scheme to others. The app has had 180,000 app downloads and 115,000 active app users.

We gave users quick access to their member number and a unique barcode to make it simple for them to track their returns and transfer refunds directly via their payment type of choice. Return History To enable users to track their overall progress we gave them quick access up front to all return transactions and statistics to show their overall environmental impact. Using the phone’s camera users can scan container barcodes to check eligibility, making returns more efficient. A breakdown of container types was also included to help educate around eligibility. Refund Point Map We built in-app search functionality to find the most convenient refund point. Users can access relevant information as well as the ability to favourite a refund point for easy access in the future. For users that are not able to get to a refund point we created Container Collect, a free in-app home collection service which has supported 35 million container returns. Users can choose the most convenient time making returning as simple as a few taps. Games To help educate the benefits of Containers for Change in a fun and engaging way we built several interactive web games which are all accessible through the app.