From 1 November, there will be 230 refund points across Queensland where you can collect 10 cents for each empty drink container you return.
Queensland plastic facts:
• Queenslanders use nearly 3 billion drink containers each year
• The majority of containers are not recycled, ending up in landfill or as litter
• Drink containers are the second most littered item in the state, accounting for 23 per cent
• Queensland has one of the lowest recycling rates in Australia at 44 per cent
The scheme will be run by not-for-profit group Container Exchange (CoEx) and funded by charging beverage manufacturers 10.2 cents (adjusted quarterly) for each container they produce.
The goal is to reduce litter and marine pollution, increase Queensland's recycling rate, and boost business and fundraising opportunities for community groups.
So how can you make a buck?
Which containers are eligible?
You can get refunds for most aluminium, steel, glass, plastic and paperboard containers between 150mL and 3 litres.
But some containers are ineligible, including:
• milk containers
• wine and spirits bottles
• large containers (1L or more) for flavoured milk, juice, cask wine or cask water
• cordial or vegetable juice containers
• wine sachets above 250mL
• health tonics
• all containers smaller than 150mL or larger than 3 litres
Where to take your containers
You can take eligible containers to one of 230 designated refund points, which are currently being selected through a tender process.
This will be increased to 300 drop-off points in 12 months.
They may be permanent depots, 'bag drops', reverse vending machines, or mobile or 'pop up' collection points which could be used to service remote areas.
Designated collectors will receive a handling fee from CoEx, which will pick up the containers and take them for recycling.
In addition, schools, community groups or charities may operate donation points for containers, allowing them to raise money by collecting the refunds.
How will you be paid?
You may receive cash or vouchers from some over-the-counter drop-off points.
But in most cases, the refunds will be deposited into your account, or you may have the option to donate the refund to your preferred charity or organisation.
The preferred method will be an account transfer to ensure there is an "audit trail" and minimise the chance of fraud.
Will beverage prices increase?
Most likely.
CoEx's external relations manager Adam Nicholson said he was not aware of beverage manufacturers trying to "profiteer" from similar schemes interstate, but consumers should be aware costs may be passed onto them.
"There's never been a scheme were drink prices didn't go up," Mr Nicholson said.
"...publishing the price ... puts the disclosure out there so that customers can make their decisions as to which products they do or don't see as being good value.
"And they can claim the 10-cent refund at the other side."
Will the scheme work?
Queensland is the fifth state or territory to adopt a container deposit scheme, behind South Australia, the Northern Territory, New South Wales and the ACT.
Western Australia, Victoria and Tasmania have yet to implement schemes.
South Australia has had a container deposit scheme for 40 years.
Toby Hutcheon, from environmental group Boomerang Alliance, said the results spoke for themselves.
"Eighty per cent of the containers they use in that state are recovered for recycling, and litter is a third of what it is in Queensland," Mr Hutcheon said.
Despite kerbside recycling, most drink containers in Queensland end up in landfill or as litter.
Mr Hutcheon said community groups were also benefiting, with Scouts South Australia raising millions of dollars each year from operating container deposit points.
What have been some of the problems elsewhere?
NSW introduced its scheme in December last year.
Complaints about that scheme have included a lack of drop-off points, badly placed drop-off points creating traffic hazards from cars queuing up, and accusations consumers were being slugged more for beverages than was being refunded.
Mr Hutcheon said the NSW scheme was "very rushed".
"I think in the beginning they made a lot of mistakes," Mr Hutcheon said.
"I don't think they had enough refund points available; they also didn't do a lot of promotion."
But he said six months into the scheme, the recovery rate for drink containers had risen from 32 per cent to more than 70 per cent now.
"It's had those teething problems but I think it's now starting to pay dividends," he said.
Mr Nicholson said while NSW's scheme was "for profit", Queensland's CoEx was not-for-profit.
"It's structured so that it couldn't profit even if it wanted to," Mr Nicholson said.
"Our goal is to make the scheme as efficient as possible so consumers aren't paying for more than they need to — our goal is to keep that cost as absolutely low as possible."
Will remote locations be serviced?
Queensland's container refund scheme will provide recycling opportunities to some places without kerbside recycling.
Mr Nicholson acknowledged remote areas would be more challenging to service, but options including using mobile collectors and pop-up drop-off points were being considered.
"No matter how remote and how regional, we can find a bespoke solution," Mr Nicholson said.
