Queenslanders have pocketed a cool $800 million by returning billions of bottles and cans through the state's container deposit scheme.
The popular scheme offers 10 cent refunds for cans and smaller glass and plastic bottles, expanding in late 2023 to include glass wine and spirit bottles.
Environment Minister Leanne Linard said eight billion drink containers have been returned since the program began in 2018, with a record 175,805,461 containers returned in January alone.
Since expanding the scheme to include glass bottles in an Australian-first, authorities say they have recorded a 13.5 per cent increase in the quantity of glass bottles being returned.
Queenslanders have shared in $800 million in refunds, including around $12 million paid to charities and community groups.
Ms Linard said eight billion containers equates to 400,000 tonnes of waste and if laid end to end, they would wrap around earth's equator 35 times.
“This is a phenomenal amount of waste that has been diverted from landfill and instead recycled," she said in a statement on Saturday.
Ms Linard said she wants to see the scheme continue to grow and is working on new ideas to further increase the rate of container recycling.
Container Exchange CEO Natalie Roach said the program's success had been "truly remarkable", keeping eight billion drink containers from ending up as litter or landfill.
With the scheme now including glass wine and spirit bottles, more and more Queenslanders are taking part.
"In fact, this past summer we have seen record container volumes returned," she said.
