Nearly 8,000sqm of industrial warehouses are keeping Western Australia beautiful

PERTH, 1 OCTOBER 2020 – With the Containers for Change Scheme launching in Western Australia on the 1^st of October 2020, a network of strategically located facilities have been leased to accommodate the Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) services by Return-It, one of Australia’s largest operator of container refund depots.

JLL’s Director of Industrial for Western Australia, Brett Mathanda brokered the leasing deals which total approximately 8,000sqm across various sites for Australia’s leading operator of CDS refund points and the various charities, social enterprises and community groups Return-It has partnered with.

A seasoned operator in QLD and the ACT, Return-It will open 13 WA sites. The CDS is an incentivised recycling program aimed at encouraging consumers to return eligible beverage containers in the form of plastic bottles, glass bottles or aluminum cans, to an authorised Return-It refund point for a 10c refund per unit. The WA Containers for Change CDS aims to help reduce litter and landfill, increase recycling, create jobs and provide opportunities for social enterprise and community groups.

Return-It is part of Re.Group, an Australian company that specialises in recycling and resource recovery.

The 8,000sqm of warehousing space are Return-It’s first venture into Western Australia and their expansion into the state is seen as a strong commitment to reduce waste in Western Australia, where it is currently estimated we use more than 1.3 billion drink containers annually. In an effort to make the CDS accessible to everyone, Return-It has entered into leases for over 4,000sqm in metropolitan Perth and the same again in regional WA. 

Originally planned for a June 2020 commencement, the WA State Government deferred the launch of the scheme due to COVID-19. Leasing activity across the Perth industrial market stalled over 2Q20, with prospective deals placed on hold following the COVID-19 pandemic. Gross take‑up for the quarter totalled 10,000sqm across two occupier moves, below the 2-year quarterly average of 39,000 sqm.

Mr Mathanda, who co-brokered the lease transactions, said, “The majority of the landlords that had agreed terms with Return-It understood the reasons for the delay, but more importantly believed that the scheme was worth waiting for. As a result, Return-It lost only one facility, which JLL was able to source a suitable replacement for in the following weeks.”

Re.Group’s Managing Director, David Singh, said “the WA property landscape was challenging to navigate, especially due to the impacts of COVID-19, but also because the CDS was a use that didn’t exist on any local councils permitted use tables. Return-It is excited to be finally opening the doors and providing Western Australians the opportunity to keep WA beautiful.”

“As a kid growing up in Western Australia, I remember picking up hundreds of bottles to earn my pocket money. At the time I couldn’t have guessed this would lead to a career in recycling,” said Mr Singh. “I am extremely excited for Return-It to be playing a big part in allowing Western Australians to get cash for their containers, in a more convenient way than I remember as a kid!”

Gary James, JLL’s Director of Energy and Sustainability Services for Australia said, “JLL is committed to delivering a sustainable future through our global sustainability strategy, Building a Better Tomorrow. Our goal is to make a significant impact through creating inclusive workplaces, shaping a cleaner planet and helping build healthier futures and this is done through initiatives like the Container Deposit Scheme. We pride ourselves on helping our clients achieve their sustainability objectives and supporting businesses that share similar values.”