Pilbara communities are already part of the Containers for Change story. Since launching in 2020, more than $500 million in refunds has gone back to Western Australians through Containers for Change, and over $22.5 million has been donated directly to charities, schools, and sporting clubs. These funds are helping support youth programs including a barista program at Roebourne High School and recycling education for children in Onslow.

Here’s how a football club and a primary school have turned everyday actions into a steady fundraising stream, and how Pilbara groups could do the same.

At Calista Primary School and Swan Districts Football Club, container saving has become a way to bring people together.

Saving 10¢ containers to raise funds for Calista Primary School began with Calista Primary School P&C President, Bonnie Madsen.

Mrs Madsen was sitting on the school board when she saw an opportunity to rebuild the P&C and their community involvement while making better use of Containers for Change.

Rather than simply proposing the idea, she spent a year demonstrating what could be achieved by collecting the community’s 10¢ containers.

With her children, Mrs Madsen began collecting containers from neighbours and residents around the school.

They would go door knocking to ask whether people had any accepted drink containers and if they would consider donating them to the school.

In the process, the family connected with community members, including those who had attended the school decades earlier.

After a year, Mrs Madsen’s efforts raised $1000 in refunds, proving the fundraising opportunity Containers for Change could bring to the Calista Primary School community.

“An empty container can transform a school,” she said.

When Calista P&C was reestablished, Containers for Change became one of its first fundraising initiatives.

Containers for Change, coordinated by Western Australia Return Recycle Renew Limited (WARRRL), provided the school with a fundraising toolkit comprising a free bin and bags, which were placed outside classrooms for students to use. It also included resources that helped Mrs Madsen roll out an education program to teach students and staff alike about the initiative.

As participation grew, Calista P&C successfully applied for a council grant to invest in 120L bins.

The school has found creative ways to keep students and families engaged. End-of-term prizes encourage children to bring accepted containers from home, making it easier for families who may not have time to visit a refund point themselves.

“We changed people’s perspective on what recycling looks like,” Mrs Madsen said. “We have a consistent flow of containers being brought into the school from families and the outside community, and they all get refunded into 10¢ that comes back to the school.”

The money goes into Calista P&C’s general fundraising pool, allowing it to be directed where the school needs it.

Funds have already contributed towards new bench seats for Kindergarten students.

The initiative has become so embedded in school life that saving and returning 10¢ containers is now the norm, and students have developed positive habits around recycling and reducing general waste.

Now, Mrs Madsen is sharing what she has learnt with other Parents and Citizens Associations interested in building their own Containers for Change fundraising stream.

Swan Districts Football Club is showing how the same idea can work on a very different scale.

With large numbers of people using its facilities, the club saw Containers for Change as an opportunity to raise vital funds.

The Swan Districts Football Club Past Players and Officials Association stepped in to help, with members Ted and John taking responsibility for collecting 10¢ containers after games.

Swan Districts Football Club Operations Manager Ross Leipold said returns helped fund the club’s regional youth engagement initiatives, including a barista program at Roebourne High School and recycling education for children in Onslow, while also supporting players and coaches to travel to regional communities to deliver programs.

“For our retired ex-players, it’s a way to stay active within the club, and they’re really passionate about helping the club out in any way,” he said.

“They come in the day after every home game to collect containers and clear them from the Containers for Change bins [ready for return].

They’ve also come up with creative ways to make the container-saving process more efficient for themselves.”

Containers for Change bins placed throughout the club’s facilities make participation easy for spectators, players and families, turning container saving into a whole-club effort.

“It really brings everyone together,” Mr Leipold said. “It’s a lot less time consuming than other fundraising methods and doesn’t ask a lot of our members.”

For Western Australians who already save and return their 10¢ containers, remember every container adds up. For those who do not wish to return their own, donating them to a school, a sporting club, a charity or another local cause is a simple way to support your community.

“Having something to all work towards has been really important,” Mrs Madsen said.

“The possibilities are endless.”

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