A little change goes a long way

Containers for change supporting local charity

By Sonia Clark

Peter picks up another load of bottles ready for recycling

Long-running local community organisation Knitting for Brisbane's Needy (K4BN) has been collaborating with the Beerwah Hotel since the beginning of this year to convert recyclable cans and stubbies into cash. Peter and Karen Croke, from the Glass House Mountains based charity, reckon that since February this year they have sorted through up to 15,000 containers from the hotel. To date the community-minded couple have raised more than $1200 through the Containers for Change initiative.

Peter explained that he drives to the hotel to collect the recyclable items. He then takes them home and sorts the items, which are bagged up ready for recycling about every three days, before taking them to a recycling centre at Caboolture.

“We generally pick up a couple of large bags at a time but after a big weekend or night at the hotel we’ll often easily collect eight or more bags! Steve and the team at the Beerwah Hotel have been an absolute godsend by allowing us to utilise this initiative,” Peter said.

K4BN has been operating for more than 13 years. Peter and Karen use the funds generated through the pub collection towards creating hygiene packs, which they make up and distribute to the homeless and needy throughout South East Queensland. Each pack contains items such as shampoo, deodorant, tissues and toothbrushes everyday necessities that most people take for granted yet for those in need are often considered luxury items they cannot afford.

Beerwah Hotel’s marketing and loyalty manager Cassie Orreal said that the hotel team was really pleased to be able to support such a worthy locally based organisation.

“The tireless work that Peter, Karen and their volunteers do is just incredible. We think it’s great that through this initiative the hotel and our customers are able to give back to the community. We are so happy to see the funds collected supporting the work of this deserving local charity,” Cassie said.