How Western Australia's container deposit scheme uses Locate2u to power on-demand recycling collections, track drivers in real time, and scale community participation across the state.
Western Australia Return Recycle Renew Limited (WARRRL) is the not-for-profit organisation behind Containers for Change -- Western Australia's container deposit scheme. The program encourages the community to return eligible drink containers at refund points across the state, where they receive a 10-cent refund per container. Containers are then sorted, processed, and recycled into new products.
To increase participation and make recycling more accessible, WARRRL launched the Containers Collect service -- an on-demand collection option that allows customers to book a pickup through the Containers Collect app or website. A driver is dispatched to collect containers directly from the customer's location, removing the need to visit a refund point in person. This service dramatically expanded the reach of the recycling program, especially for people in remote areas or those with limited mobility.
When WARRRL first launched the on-demand collection service, they had limited visibility into their daily operations. They had no clear picture of how many containers were being processed during the day, making it difficult to plan logistics and allocate resources effectively. Without the right software, managing collections from multiple refund points and customer locations resulted in bottlenecks and overflow at depots.
At recycling depots, trucks were wasting valuable time queuing to offload collected containers. Without a system to coordinate arrivals and manage depot capacity, drivers would arrive simultaneously, creating congestion and delays that rippled through the entire operation. As the Containers for Change program grew in popularity, these operational inefficiencies threatened to undermine the service quality that drives public participation.
WARRRL implemented Locate2u to bring real-time visibility and coordination to their entire collection operation. Customers book collections through the Containers Collect app, and the Locate2u platform manages driver dispatch, route planning, and live tracking behind the scenes.
Every driver is tracked in real time, allowing the central team to monitor progress, manage workloads, and respond to operational issues as they happen. Proof of delivery captures completion records for every collection, while customer instructions and special requirements are passed directly to drivers through the app. At the depot level, live tracking solved the queuing problem by giving operations managers visibility into when trucks would arrive, enabling staggered offloading and smoother throughput.
The success of any recycling program depends on participation. The easier it is for people to recycle, the more likely they are to do it consistently. By combining the Containers for Change refund incentive with on-demand collection powered by Locate2u, WARRRL removed the biggest barrier to participation: convenience. Customers no longer need to store containers until they can visit a refund point. A few taps on the Containers Collect app and a driver comes to them.
This model of technology-enabled sustainability is increasingly relevant as cities and states look for ways to boost recycling rates. Real-time logistics software turns what would otherwise be a complex, manual coordination effort into a scalable service that can grow with demand. As more people sign up for on-demand collection, the same platform handles the increased volume without requiring proportional increases in administrative overhead.
WARRRL's experience demonstrates that not-for-profit organisations face the same logistics challenges as commercial delivery businesses -- but often with tighter budgets and higher accountability standards. Every dollar spent on operations is a dollar not spent on the mission. Efficient routing, real-time tracking, and digital proof of completion help organisations like WARRRL maximise the impact of their resources.
The transparency that comes with live tracking and digital records is also valuable for stakeholder reporting. WARRRL can demonstrate exactly how many collections were completed, the areas served, and the efficiency of their operations. This data supports funding applications, government reporting, and public communications about the program's impact on recycling rates across Western Australia.
"With Locate2u, we can track every driver in real time, capture customer instructions, and manage driver routines efficiently. It has transformed how we deliver the Containers Collect service across Western Australia."
Locate2u manages the entire collection workflow from booking to completion. When a customer books a collection through an app or website, the platform assigns a driver, optimises the route, provides real-time tracking to the customer, and captures proof of completion when the job is done.
Yes. Locate2u is built to scale with demand. The platform manages thousands of bookings, optimises routes across large geographic areas, and provides real-time coordination for fleets of any size. As collection volumes grow, the software handles the additional complexity without requiring proportional increases in staff.
When operations managers can see the real-time location and ETA of every collection vehicle, they can coordinate depot arrivals to avoid congestion. Instead of multiple trucks arriving simultaneously and queuing to offload, arrivals can be staggered for smoother throughput and reduced wait times.
Absolutely. Locate2u helps not-for-profit organisations maximise operational efficiency, which means more resources can be directed toward their core mission. The platform also provides the data and reporting capabilities that not-for-profits need for stakeholder accountability, grant applications, and impact measurement.