Pop-Up Recycling Takes Off

July 6, 2021

South Burnett residents eager to cash in their cans and bottles now have some new pop-up options which might be a bit closer to home.

Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council – which operates the Containers For Change depots in Cherbourg and Kingaroy – is now running pop-up depots in Nanango, Blackbutt and Yarraman.

Kingaroy Containers For Change manager Christine Beresford held the first pop-up in Nanango last Friday, and the first ones in Blackbutt and Yarraman will run this week.

The new pop-up locations are:

• Nanango – Nanango Showgrounds (entry via Kimlin Street) – Mondays and Fridays, 9:00am-noon

• Blackbutt – Hart Street (between the Taromeo Fire Shed and the Showgrounds entrance) – Tuesdays, 9:00am-11:00am

• Yarraman – Yarraman Men’s Shed (Mill Street) – Wednesdays, 10:00am-noon

Christine told southburnett.com.au the new pop-ups would operate in the same way as the Cherbourg and Kingaroy depots, ie. no cash would be handed out on the spot.

Residents should bring along their Containers For Change scheme IDs and the cash will be deposited into their bank accounts.

Containers For Change accounts can be created online

Details about what containers are eligible for the 10c refund are also available online

Christine said that depending on the response, the pop-up in Nanango could become a permanent site but this would be assessed after about three months.

“We are trying to capture what volume of recycling we are currently missing,” she said,

Christine said she had received some good feedback at the inaugural Blackbutt pop-up, held on Tuesday, with new customers registering to recycle.

And a man who had been travelling to Kilcoy to cash in his containers had found the Blackbutt site much more convenient.

Christine has dreams of opening more pop-ups around the region – possibly at Kumbia, Proston or Goomeri – but it was important these first three sites were bedded down.

“We are trying to establish these ones first,” she said.

“And if we can purchase more trailers, we might also be able to take them to events.

“I know it is going to grow but we have to put in the effort. And hopefully, it will create more jobs, too.”

In the meantime, the Kingaroy site is still being kept very busy.

Christine said 46,000 items were processed on Monday at the depot on the corner of Kingaroy and Cornish streets.

And it could get even busier. A new arrangement at Kingaroy Shoppingworld is in the process of being developed, where shoppers will be able to drop in individual containers to benefit local charities.

NB. Kingaroy and Cherbourg Container Refund Points will be closed this Friday (July 9) for Cherbourg Council’s gazetted NAIDOC Week public holiday but the pop-up at Nanango will still go ahead.

• Related article: Christine Wins State Award

  Blackbutt, Cherbourg, Council, Kingaroy, Nanango, Yarraman