Western Australia’s Premier, Roger Cook, has announced the state’s Containers for Change program will be expanded to include wine and spirit bottles by mid-2026.
The program’s expansion has been accelerated in response to strong community support in Western Australia, where it has reduced waste, increased recycling rates, supported local groups and created hundreds of jobs.
From 1 July 2026, wine and spirit bottles will be included in the scheme, meaning nearly all beverage containers between 150 millilitres and three litres will be eligible for refunds at Containers for Change collection points across the state.
Premier Cook said: “My government is committed to protecting and restoring our environment, and an important part of this is reducing the amount of waste being sent to landfill.
“Western Australians have strongly embraced Containers for Change, saving billions of containers from landfill and generating millions of dollars for local charities and community groups.
“By expanding this popular program to include wine and spirit bottles we are making it easier to recycle – opening the scheme to an estimated 200 million additional containers each year.
In addition to glass wine and spirit bottles, the expansion will include:
- wine packaged in plastic;
- sachets and casks;
- water packaged in casks;
- concentrated fruit and vegetable juices; and
- flavoured milk and cordial.
Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn said: “Expanding Containers for Change to include wine and spirit bottles delivers on our continued commitment to cutting landfill and keeping valuable resources in WA’s circular economy.
“The expansion also enables social enterprises, community groups and schools to collect more containers and raise money through the refund scheme.
“We are building on a proven program that boosts recycling outcomes but also supports jobs and local fundraising.”
As of 31 July 2025, more than 4.5 billion containers have been collected for recycling and diverted from landfill.
This expansion is expected to see an estimated 200 million additional containers become eligible for refund annually, including 90-130 million glass bottles.