A parliamentary inquiry into Queensland's Containers for Change recycling scheme has led to ten allegations being referred to the state's Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC). The inquiry heard claims of bullying, harassment, and conflicts of interest within the scheme's governance.
The parliamentary committee's report, tabled on Thursday by chair Rob Molhoek, highlighted that the board of Container Exchange Limited (COEX) is dominated by beverage giants Coca-Cola and Lion. These companies have an incentive to reduce the number of containers recycled to lower costs, according to submissions.
Molhoek noted that the scheme turns over nearly half a billion dollars annually, yet only 36% is returned to consumers, with less than 2% going to charities or community groups. The report made 21 recommendations, primarily for stricter oversight and governance reforms.
Recycling advocates the Boomerang Alliance argued that European schemes achieve return rates above 90%, and called for increased rebates and more collection points. Meanwhile, Queensland's Labor opposition expressed reservations about the report, describing it as potentially political.
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners said it was reviewing the report, while Lion defended its role, stating the scheme is world-leading. COEX declined to comment further due to the CCC referral, but emphasised the scheme's success in increasing recycling rates from 18% to 67.1%.
