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Containers for Change

Each year, Western Australians buy more than 1.6 billion 10¢ containers. Sadly, hundreds of millions of these containers are not recycled – ending up as litter or in landfill.

To help save precious resources, Containers for Change was launched on 1 October 2020 and expanded on 1 July 2026 to include several new container types including wine and spirit bottles.

Eligible containers

Western Australia’s container deposit scheme targets almost all beverage containers between 150 millilitres and three litres. The scheme expanded on 1 July 2026, including several new container types such as wine and spirit bottles.  

Here’s the full list: 

Plastic Bottles 

Water, soft drinks, juice, flavoured milk, and sports drinks. 

Glass Bottles 

Water, beer, pre-mixed spirits, and soft drinks. 

Drink Cans 

Soft drinks, carbonated beverages, energy drinks, beers, and pre-mixed spirits. 

Drink Cartons 

Flavoured milk cartons, juice cartons, juice boxes, and water cartons. 

Wine & Spirit Bottles  

Wine and spirits in plastic, glass bottles and casks. 

Juice & Cordial Bottles 

All fruit and vegetable juice, and cordial containers.  

Pouches, Casks, Lids & Corks 

A range of juice pouches, water casks, and wine in sachets or casks are also accepted. Separated corks and lids can be brought to the refund point for recycling.  

Containers for plain milk, registered health tonics and food for special medical purposes remain excluded and should be placed in the yellow-lidded recycling bin at home. See the detailed list of eligible containers.  

WARRRL's Objectives

The key objectives of the WA Container Deposit Scheme include: 

 

  1. Increase recovery and recycling of empty beverage containers. 
  2. Reduce the number of empty beverage containers that are disposed of as litter or landfill. 
  3. Ensure that first responsible suppliers of beverage products take product stewardship responsibility in relation to their beverage products.  
  4. Provide opportunities for social enterprise, and benefits for community organisations, through participation in the Container Deposit Scheme. 
  5. Create opportunities for employment. 
  6. Complement existing collection and recycling activities for recyclable waste. 

            How it works

            First Responsible Suppliers that supply eligible beverage containers into Western Australia fund the Container Deposit Scheme. The contribution that each business makes to the scheme is based on their sales in Western Australia. 

            Through Containers for Change, West Australians can return their beverage containers for a refund, which can either be personally collected or donated to a charity, community group, or not-for-profit, registered with Containers for Change.  

            The scheme includes a diverse range of ways to return containers:
                            

            • Depots 
            • Self-serve Kiosk  
            • Drop & Go’s  
            • The Collect Service 
            • Container Exchange Points  
            • Donation Points 

            Where your containers go

            What happens to your 10¢ containers after you have returned them to us?

            Accepted containers are sorted into their different material types at the refund point, before being processed into ready-for-sale material by our processors (for example, crushed into bales).

            This material is then sold to accredited recyclers, who use it to make new products. Containers collected from the refund point network, where possible, are turned into new containers, supporting the circular economy.  

            Plastic bottles are mostly turned into new drink containers, but also can become food containers,  textiles, Pilot B2B pens, furniture, bins and construction materials.  

            Most glass bottles are turned into new glass bottles as the rate of contamination is extremely low and glass is infinitely recyclable. A small percentage of glass bottles are turned into road base.  

             Aluminum cans can be recycled into new cans or can be made into food containers, electronics, building products, takeaway packaging and construction materials.  

             Recycled drink casks and drink cartons (liquid paperboard) are recycled into mostly paper and paper bags, the aluminium and plastic liners inside these drink cartons can be recycled into packaging pallets.