What Container Exchange does

Container Exchange (COEX) is the Queensland Government-appointed not-for-profit organisation that manages the Containers for Change scheme, Queensland's beverage container deposit/refund programme offering consumers a 10-cent refund on eligible drink containers. Founded in 2017 with the scheme launching in November 2018, COEX operates 360+ refund points across Queensland and has recycled 12 billion containers through its network since inception, supported by an additional 2.4 billion containers recycled through kerbside programmes. The organisation is headquartered in Brisbane, employs 51-100 staff, and has created 1,581 jobs across the Queensland circular economy.

COEX's revenue model is a regulated per-container transaction fee: 700+ beverage manufacturers selling eligible containers into Queensland pay a material-tiered scheme price (Aluminium 12.8c, Glass 13.9c, PET/HDPE 13.5c, LPB/Steel/Other 13.9c; weighted average 13.3c, GST exclusive) with payment terms of 25 business days. Container refund point operators earn per-container handling fees (5.90c commercial, 3.12c community) and can participate in COEX's Commercial and Community RVM Asset Hire Programs, hiring CBOX 3 or RVM X30 machines from $706-$4,160 per month without upfront capital outlay. COEX retains ownership of RVM assets and manages technical maintenance; customers may also donate their 10-cent refunds to registered charities via member numbers.

The company's operating platform spans the Business Partner Portal (manufacturer product registration and sales reporting), Operator Hub, Beverage Manufacturer Hub, Partner Program, Containers for Change mobile app, and an interactive Opportunity Map identifying under-served local government areas. Distribution channels include depots/shopfronts, RVMs, bag drops, School Donation Points (in partnership with P&C Queensland), and Container Exchange Points for outdoor public spaces (manufactured by Queensland social enterprises Help Enterprises and Bin Bypass). Notable partnerships include Basketball Queensland (Official Sustainability Partner, 2026), Sea World Foundation, Australia Zoo (naming rights to the Crocoseum), OzHarvest, Hearts of Purple, Sirromet Wines, Ecoboxtec (RVM manufacturer) and RVM Systems. As a not-for-profit, excess reserves fund future scheme costs rather than being distributed to owners.

Name

Container Exchange

Legal name

Container Exchange (QLD) Ltd

Website

https://containerexchange.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Container Exchange (COEX) is the Queensland Government-appointed not-for-profit that manages the Containers for Change beverage container refund scheme, operating 360+ refund points, working with 700+ beverage manufacturers, and processing 10-cent refunds to Queensland consumers since the scheme's November 2018 launch.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Container Recycling Services

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Reusable Packaging & Refill Systems (Returnable Transport Items, Deposit/DRS Ops) (EUAIANAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Reusable Packaging & Container Return Programs (On-site) (BPABALAJ)

Keywords

• Container refund scheme
• Beverage container recycling
• Reverse vending machines
• Container deposit program
• Waste recovery services

Headquarters

HQ city

Brisbane

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Beverage Manufacturer Contributions (Scheme Price): Beverage manufacturers selling eligible containers in Queensland pay a per-container scheme price to COEX. Prices vary by material type: Aluminium 12.8 cents, Glass 13.9 cents, PET/HDPE 13.5 cents, LPB/Steel/Other 13.9 cents (weighted average 13.3 cents, excl. GST). No adjustments to current prices from 1 August 2026 to 31 January 2027. Payment terms are 25 business days (extended from 5 days in March 2026). COEX is a not-for-profit; excess reserves fund future scheme costs.
2. Container Refund Handling Fees: Container refund point operators receive a handling fee per eligible container processed. Commercial operators in South East Queensland earn 5.90 cents per container (weekly payments). Community operators earn 3.12 cents per container. Depots performing secondary sorting receive higher fees reflecting additional work. Operators submit weekly claims via the COEX business portal.
3. Asset Hire Fees (RVM Program): Commercial operators who hire RVMs from COEX pay a monthly hire fee: starting from $4,160 + GST for CBOX 3, or $706 + GST for RVM X30. COEX retains asset ownership and manages technical maintenance. No hire fee for community operators.
4. 10-cent Container Refunds (Donated): When customers donate their 10-cent refunds to charities, community groups, or schools, those organisations receive the funds. COEX facilitates this by enabling member numbers for donations. This generates social enterprise revenue for the network without COEX receiving funds directly.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Container Exchange (COEX) is the Queensland Government-appointed not-for-profit organization that manages the Containers for Change scheme, Queensland's container deposit refund program. COEX administers a network of 360+ container refund points—including depots, reverse vending machines (RVMs), bag drops, school donation points, and outdoor exchange points—where Queenslanders return eligible beverage containers for 10-cent refunds. The scheme is funded by per-container contributions from 700+ beverage manufacturers and supported by an integrated IT platform (Business Partner Portal and Operator Hub).

Product overview

Container Exchange (COEX) operates Containers for Change, Queensland's container refund scheme — a single unified program offering a network of 360+ container refund points where Queenslanders return eligible beverage containers for 10-cent refunds. The core product is supported by multiple service channels: Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) in two formats (CBOX 3 by Ecoboxtec and RVM X30 by RVM Systems), depots/shopfronts, bag drops, Container Exchange Points for outdoor public spaces, and School Donation Points. COEX offers two Asset Hire Programs — one for commercial operators (monthly hire with 5.90 cents handling fee) and one for community organisations (free RVM hosting with 3.12 cents handling fee) — both in South East Queensland. Digital platforms include the Business Partner Portal for 700+ beverage manufacturers to register products and report sales, Operator Hub for network operators, Beverage Manufacturer Hub for resources, Partner Program for organisational sustainability partnerships, and the Opportunity Map for identifying network expansion locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Containers for Change: Queensland's container refund scheme operated by COEX, offering 10-cent refunds for eligible beverage containers

Products and services

• Containers for Change Scheme Queensland's container refund scheme operated by COEX, offering a 10-cent refund for eligible beverage containers (including glass wine and spirit bottles) returned at 360+ refund points across Queensland. Funded by beverage manufacturer contributions; managed by COEX as the sole government-appointed scheme administrator.
• Container Refund Points Network Physical locations across Queensland (360+) operated by independent commercial operators, social enterprises, and community groups where consumers return eligible containers for 10-cent refunds. Includes self-serve or drive-through depots, shopfronts, and reverse vending machines.
• Community RVM Asset Hire Program Program enabling charities, not-for-profits, community groups, social enterprises, and local government sites to host a Reverse Vending Machine (CBOX 3) without upfront equipment costs in South East Queensland. COEX provides the RVM and manages technical maintenance; organisations earn a 3.12c handling fee per container processed.
• Commercial RVM Asset Hire Program Program enabling commercial operators to hire Reverse Vending Machines (CBOX 3 from Ecoboxtec or RVM X30 from RVM Systems) without capital investment in South East Queensland. CBOX 3 hire starts at $4,160+GST/month; RVM X30 hire starts at $706+GST/month. COEX retains asset ownership and manages technical maintenance. Operators earn 5.90c handling fee per container processed.
• School Donation Points Free 8-foot bag drop containers placed externally at Queensland state primary and secondary schools in South East Queensland in partnership with P&C Queensland. Families, staff and community return containers; all 10-cent refunds go directly to the school's P&C as fundraising.
• Container Exchange Points Free outdoor public-space recycling solution with basket and rack attachments for bins and poles, allowing people to leave eligible drink containers in convenient baskets for collection. Components manufactured by Queensland social enterprises Help Enterprises (baskets) and Bin Bypass (rack attachments). Deployed across multiple Queensland local government areas.
• Solar-Powered Reverse Vending Machine First solar-powered Reverse Vending Machine in South East Queensland, manufactured by Queensland green technology company Ecoboxtec. Located at Great Western Super Centre in Keperra and operated by Community Co Recycling. Operates off-grid on solar power, accepting containers from 7am to 9pm, seven days a week. Since launch it has received over 88,000 containers.
• Business Partner Portal Online portal for the 700+ beverage manufacturers participating in the scheme to register products, report sales volumes, submit export rebate claims, and manage Container Recovery Agreement obligations. Used for tiered invoicing (monthly/quarterly/annual based on container volume) and product registration.
• Operator Hub Password-protected portal for container refund point operators providing access to scheme updates, resources, support materials, and reporting/claims submission functionality for operating and growing refund points.
• Containers for Change Mobile App Mobile application enabling Queensland consumers to access their member account, check refund status, find nearest refund points, and manage donations to registered charities. Part of the digital ecosystem supporting the Containers for Change scheme.
• Opportunity Map Interactive map tool showing container recovery rates by local government area and existing depot/RVM locations. Identifies areas (shown in red) where new refund points are most needed, particularly South East Queensland which has the lowest recovery rates. Helps prospective operators identify potential new locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12 billion containers recycled through refund points; 2.4 billion through kerbside recycling
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sea World FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 June 2026COEX partners with the Sea World Foundation through Containers for Change. Sea World guests return eligible containers at 50 bins across the Gold Coast theme park. All refunds generate funds for the Sea World Foundation's marine wildlife research, rescue and conservation projects. Mickey the rescue New Zealand Fur Seal returned Sea World's 500,000th container milestone. The partnership aligns with COEX's mission to reduce container litter and protect marine life.
• Basketball QueenslandcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 June 2026COEX is the Official Sustainability Partner of Basketball Queensland. Through this statewide partnership, basketball clubs and associations receive free infrastructure, dedicated support, and access to exclusive statewide competitions to collect eligible containers and receive refunds as a fundraising income stream. COEX's Interim CEO Trevor Evans and Basketball Queensland CEO Joshua Pascoe signed the partnership, with the goal of supporting community sporting clubs ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Games.
• EcoboxteccoreTechnology or Integration · 1 April 2026Ecoboxtec is a Queensland-based green technology company that manufactures RVMs for COEX, including the CBOX 3 large format machine (three-chute, up to three customers simultaneously) and the solar-powered RVM launched at Keperra. Founder and Director Julien Craeye emphasises technology designed and built 'for Queenslanders, by Queenslanders'. COEX retains ownership of assets manufactured by Ecoboxtec.
• Express RecyclingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2026Express Recycling is a local container refund operator that processes donated containers from Hearts of Purple's Purple Bins program. Manager Nikki Mullen has supported Hearts of Purple's housing project by ensuring donated containers are processed efficiently.
• P&C QueenslandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025COEX partnered with P&C Queensland (the peak body for state school communities) to provide free School Donation Points (bag drops) to Queensland state primary and secondary schools in South East Queensland. P&C Queensland coordinates operations on school grounds and accepts expressions of interest from schools. All 10-cent refunds go directly to school P&Cs as fundraising.
• Community Co RecyclingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Community Co Recycling is an operator operating refund points across the Brisbane metro area. They collect containers from apartment buildings (e.g., Cook Apartments), process at Windsor and Albion depots, and operate the first solar-powered RVM at Keperra. Managing Director Doogan O'Hanlon leads the business which provides collection services for body corporates, events, and community locations.
• Cook Apartments (Body Corporate)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Cook Apartments, a 46-unit New Farm apartment building, partnered with Community Co Recycling and Containers for Change to collect eligible containers. Since January 2025, residents recycled 20,000+ containers donating over $2,000 to local charity 3rd Space. Residents use a dedicated bin next to recycling bins.
• Kawana Shopping WorldminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024COEX partnered with Kawana Shopping World on the Sunshine Coast as an example of container collection in a complex retail environment. The partnership demonstrates how container collection supports local causes through the Containers for Change scheme.
• Australia ZoocoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 June 2023COEX partnered with Australia Zoo to name the famous 5,000-seat Crocoseum arena as the Containers for Change Crocoseum. The partnership supports Wildlife Warriors conservation messaging and raises awareness about the importance of recycling and maintaining a minimum carbon footprint. COEX actively participates in the daily Wildlife Warriors show held in the Crocoseum.
• Container Refund RockhamptonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023Container Refund Rockhampton services Containers for Change bins at Rockynats events across four precincts (Showgrounds, Campgrounds, CBD, Burnouts). Operating since 2023, they collected 38,000+ containers at Rockynats 2026. Work is coordinated through Rockhampton Regional Council.
• Palm Island Aboriginal Shire CouncilminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council operates the island's first dedicated container refund point at Manbarra Road Depot, opened March 2023. Since opening, residents returned 130,000+ containers securing $13,000+ in refunds. COEX worked with Townsville-based MAMS Group for logistics.
• MAMS GroupminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023MAMS Group is a Townsville-based container refund point operator that supports logistics for Palm Island's container refund point. COEX connected Palm Island Council with MAMS Group to enable the Palm Island refund point.
• Hearts of PurplecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020COEX partners with Hearts of Purple through the Purple Bins program. Since March 2020, over 5.1 million containers have been recycled, raising more than $500,000. Nearly $100,000 was generated in the past year alone driven by 500+ local businesses. Funds were used to purchase land and portable homes for domestic violence crisis accommodation. Local operator Express Recycling processes donated containers.
• OzHarvestcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018COEX supports OzHarvest through the Containers for Change donation mechanism. Since 2018, 1 million containers have been donated to OzHarvest generating $100,000 in 10-cent refunds, enabling delivery of 200,000 meals to Queenslanders facing food insecurity. Queenslanders donate by using OzHarvest's member number C10006261 at refund points.

Scale indicators23 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Cleanaway Waste Management: Australia's largest waste management company and partner in Exchange for Change (NSW). Broad incumbent that overlaps with COEX in kerbside recycling complementing the refund scheme.
• TOMRA Collection: Global leader in reverse vending machine technology and operator of multiple deposit-return schemes worldwide. Directly comparable to COEX through both technology supply and DRS operations.

Emerging players

• RVM Systems: Supplier of the RVM X30 used in COEX's commercial asset hire program and an emerging global RVM manufacturer. Comparable as a technology and asset-supply partner in the same DRS value chain.
• Ecoboxtec: Queensland-based manufacturer of the CBOX 3 RVM and the solar-powered RVM deployed in COEX's network. Direct technology partner and emerging player in sustainable RVM hardware.

Direct peers

• Exchange for Change (TOMRA Cleanaway): Operates the NSW container deposit scheme (Return and Earn), making it the most direct Australian comparator to COEX. Same appointed-operator model, same beverage-manufacturer funding mechanism, and same RVM/depot infrastructure — only difference is jurisdiction.
• WA Return Recycle Renew: Western Australia's container deposit scheme operator, another Australian state DRS with the same 10-cent refund model. Direct competitor for manufacturer scheme price negotiations and benchmark for recovery rate performance.
• Visy (Vic CDS operations): Operates aspects of Victoria's container deposit scheme, another Australian state-based DRS. Provides a same-country peer benchmark for scheme economics and operator economics.
• Return-It (BC): Operates British Columbia's container deposit scheme with a network of depots and RVMs funded by beverage manufacturers. Closest international analogue to COEX's appointment-based DRS operator model.

Others

• Boomerang Alliance: Australian advocacy coalition that has driven the nationwide rollout of container deposit schemes including COEX's. Relevant as an ecosystem shaper and policy influencer on DRS regulation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Container Exchange