Recylcing will become a lot more attractive as of 1 November when a 10 cents a bottle refund comes into play for wine and spirit bottles.

Urban Depot at Nambour is gearing up for an influx of extra bottles thanks to the extension of Queensland’s container refund scheme to glass wine and spirit bottles between 150ml and 3L.

The scheme has to date covered only aluminium cans, other bottles such as beer bottles, liquid paperboard containers, steel and soft drink and some other plastic bottles.

Urban Depot owner Jason Irwin has boosted staff numbers from 13 to 16 and increased infrastructure at the Windsor Road Containers for Change facility to handle the expected increase in recycling.

“This is something that we have had a mass of enquiry on for the last five years. People power has kicked in and now it has happened,” Jason said.

Jason said expansion of the state’s recycling scheme was good for the planet and for generations to come.

“Anything people can do to stop containers going to landfill and getting them into the circular economy is going to be a huge benefit for years to come,” he said.

“We have 4 young children and we are doing our utmost to have a positive impact on their and everyone’s future.”

Jason expects Urban Depot to be particularly busy for the first fortnight of the expanded scheme and anticipates an overall increase in business because wine and spirit drinkers who may not have recycled might now jump on the bandwagon and bring not only wine and spirit bottles but other containers. 

“I think it might be a 20% increase in new people trying this. Now people who drink wine  have reason to come and they might also drink Coke or beer and bring those recyclables, too,” he said.

Jason hopes the boost to staffing will help keep traffic moving at the drive-through facility but asked customers to be patient.

He said drivers were welcome to help expedite the process by removing lids and by getting out of their cars to deliver their recycling, if physically able.

“We try and keep our wait times down as much as possible. What we want customers to know is that there will be longer wait times because of the amount of extra people we’re dealing with.”

Urban Depot is open Monday to Friday 8am-4pm, Saturdays 8am-2pm and Sundays 9am-2pm.