Soft plastics, the kind that can be scrunched into a ball, are among the biggest problems in the kerbside recycling system. In fact 8 out of 10 councils consider them the number one problem as they get caught in the recycling machinery.*
The good news is these plastics can be recycled at many supermarkets. The bad news, as revealed in research done for National Recycling Week, is that only 47% of people know about the program!
This free program is made possible through REDcycle, which has worked with Coles and Woolworths/Safeway Supermarkets to set up collection bins in stores across most metro areas of Australia.
The cost of collecting and processing the material is covered by many of Australia’s best-known manufacturers
The plastic is made into furniture for schools and kindergartens among other things.
What you can recycle
Check out REDcycle's comprehensive list here.
You can recycle:
- Plastic shopping bags
- Bread, rice, pasta, lolly and cereal bags
- Biscuit packs (but not the trays)
- Frozen food bags
- Bubble wrap
- Fruit and veg bags and netting
- Toilet paper packaging and similar product packaging
- Old green bags (and other re-usable bags)
Please make sure your plastic is dry and as empty as possible.
*A handful of Councils in WA and VIC used to accept plastic bags and soft plastics in the recycling bin when they were tied up inside a plastic bag. However they no longer do so. At this time, no matter what Council you are in, plastic bags and other soft plastics should never be placed in your yellow-lidded kerbside recycling bin.
For more information about single-use plastics, click here.
