A PRICE freeze on the amount drink manufacturers pay into Queensland's container refund scheme will help keep packaged drink prices stable.
Container Exchange, the not-for-profit administrator of the Containers for Change scheme has announced a six-month price freeze on the amount paid by beverage manufacturers to fund the scheme, to help the industry through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The freeze will assist the industry to keep drink prices stable with no increased cost pressure on manufacturers from the per-container fee they pay.
The price freeze has no impact on the legislated 10c per container refund for the thousands of families who return bottles and cans to recycling points in the Redlands, Beaudesert or Jimboomba.
Under the scheme, beverage manufacturers pay an average 12.8c per can or bottle sold in Queensland. The 10c refund comes out of that fee, with the remainder funding the more than 100 scheme businesses which run the scheme and employ more than 650 workers.
The scheme price was due to be reviewed in line with alcohol excise prices in August.
COEX chief executive Ken Noye said: "Freezing the scheme price that manufacturers pay will help keep drink prices stable for Queensland consumers.
"We know a lot of smaller manufacturers such as craft brewers and juice companies have been significantly impacted by the closure of venues and events through the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Freezing the scheme price will help give them certainty and assist in keeping their costs stable," he said.
The price will be frozen until February 2021.
Households have embraced the container refund scheme since it was launched 18 months ago.
"Every day Queenslanders return an average four million containers to our 300 refund points across the state. The refund points alone have now refunded more than $180 million to people who collect and return bottles and cans," Mr Noye said.