How one Queenslander turned 10-cent containers into a car
What can 10-cent containers get you? For 79-year-old Brisbane super collector Daniel Maddox, the answer is a car.
After losing his ute in the 2022 Brisbane floods, Daniel found himself without a car and unable to afford another straight away. So, he started collecting 10c containers and returning them through Containers for Change.
Daniel began picking up empty cans and bottles from around his community, cleaning up local streets while saving the 10-cent refunds towards a new set of wheels.
And those 10 cents quickly added up. In just one year, Daniel collected $5,000 in refunds, enough to pay off a second-hand Mazda 3, while keeping containers out of landfill at the same time.
More than 200,000 containers returned
Three years on, he’s now returned more than 200,000 containers, totalling more than $20,000 in 10-cent refunds.
And while the car might be paid off, Daniel certainly hasn’t stopped collecting. He now puts his refunds towards everyday expenses like fuel and household bills. Last year, his containers even covered his entire electricity bill!
Along the way, Daniel has had plenty of support from the local team at Community Co Recycling in Windsor and Albion, where he returns his impressive hauls.
Why Daniel keeps returning his containers
For Daniel, it’s the combination of a little extra money and doing something positive for the environment that makes returning containers worthwhile.
“It’s great to have a scheme where you can put money aside just by returning your empties. You might not think much of 10-cents, but it’s money you’d otherwise be throwing away,” Daniel said.
“And you know those cans and bottles are being recycled rather than going to waste. I think that’s a wonderful thing. A little extra in your pocket and you’re helping keep Queensland clean.”
Queenslanders have returned 13 billion containers together
Daniel’s story comes as Queensland celebrates a pretty huge milestone during National Recycling Week: 13 billion containers returned through Containers for Change since 2018.
That’s $1.3 billion in 10-cent refunds going back to Queenslanders, charities, community groups and schools.
Thirteen billion can be a hard number to wrap your head around. But behind every one of those containers is a simple choice made by Queenslanders like Daniel: don’t bin it, return it.
Because one container might only be worth 10 cents, but as Daniel has well and truly proven, those 10 cents can add up to something pretty big.
Ready to make your impact?
Sign up for a member number and start tracking your returns today.