People across Sandgate and Brisbane’s northern suburbs have grown used to seeing Paul Quarrell quietly collecting discarded drink containers bound for the Burpengary Express Recycling Containers for Change centre.
Since starting in 2020, Paul has returned more than 1.3 million containers, turning everyday recycling into direct support for children’s programs across Queensland.
“It’s not that I feel like I’ve got to help — I want to help,” Paul says. “No one asks to go through these struggles. This is my way of giving back to society.”
From Car Crash To Container Collecting
Paul Quarrell, a Moreton Bay resident on the disability support pension, began collecting eligible drink containers after a car crash left him unable to work. He directed the refunds into charity fundraising and expanded the effort over time.
A familiar face in the Moreton Bay region, Paul spends hours each day walking suburbs including Sandgate and surrounding northern Brisbane communities, checking bins, footpaths and public spaces for eligible containers.
In 2025 alone, he collected more than 750,000 containers, with most of the refunds donated to children’s charity programs. Paul keeps only a small amount each month to cover fuel costs.
“People have got to stop looking at just the 10 cents,” he says. “They need to start looking at the big picture. It’s a cumulative thing.”
That cumulative impact is clear in the numbers: wheelie bins regularly line up on Paul’s driveway, collected weekly by Burpengary operator Express Recycling before the containers are processed.
How Containers For Change Works
Containers for Change provides a 10-cent refund for most eligible aluminium, glass, plastic, steel and liquid paperboard drink containers between 150 mL and 3 L. Participants can keep refunds or donate them to registered community groups and charities.
Containers returned at refund points are sorted by material type and transported to processing facilities, where they are recycled into new products. Participants can keep their refunds or donate them to registered charities and community groups.
Paul’s approach shows how the system works at a grassroots level — collecting containers others no longer want, returning them at the Burpengary centre, and directing the refunds toward community causes.
“To see those smiles on the kids’ faces when their grants are accepted because of funds raised from container recycling — you just can’t beat it,” he says.
Sandgate’s Role In A Growing Effort
Sandgate is among the communities Paul has publicly thanked for their support, contributing containers that help drive his fundraising total higher.
“I think ‘yee-haw’ when I see one container,” Paul says. “Because it’s one container closer to a million.”
That million-container milestone is now his next target, with Paul aiming to collect another one million containers within a year, generating significant additional funding for children’s support programs.
Since 2020, reports place Paul Quarrell’s overall collection at more than 1.3 million containers, with at least $130,000 donated to Variety – the Children’s Charity of Queensland. Another report provided to this project has published higher totals, indicating the figures may differ depending on when they were recorded.
In 2025, he collected more than 750,000 containers. He typically sets aside $50 per month from refunds for fuel, donating the remainder.
He is reported to return about 36 wheelie bins of containers per week, which are collected for processing by local operator Express Recycling. He has also credited Queensland Rail with allowing recycling activity at train stations.
Still Walking, Still Collecting
Paul’s work continues week after week, rain or shine, with the Burpengary Express Recycling centre remaining a key drop-off point for the thousands of containers he gathers from Sandgate and nearby suburbs.
His stated goal for 2026 is to collect one million containers within a year, with an aim of contributing a further $100,000 in donations to the charity.
“Go out there and do it,” Paul says. “You’ll see how much it can benefit — whether it’s for charity, your car registration, or your family. You’re doing something good.”
For Sandgate residents, it’s a reminder that the containers placed out each week don’t just disappear — in this case, they’re helping one local man turn recycling into real change.
Published 26-Jan-2026
Photo Credit: Container Exchange. Some quotes are from this article from Containers for Change.
