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Remember those REDcycle bins that used to sit near the entrance of your local supermarket? After the scheme collapsed in 2022, many Australians were left wondering what to do with their bread bags, chip packets and cling wrap.
The good news? A new national soft plastics recycling scheme is now rolling out across Australia, with more than 700 collection points already operating in supermarkets across NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and the ACT. The program is being overseen by Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia (SPSA), which says the system can process more than 20,000 tonnes of soft plastics each year – almost three times REDcycle's peak capacity.
Recent research from waste management company Cleanaway found that nearly half of Aussies are still putting soft plastics in their household recycling bins – a big no-no since most kerbside recycling systems can't process them. The report also found that many Australians find plastic recycling confusing, with almost two-thirds saying they've been misled by packaging that appears recyclable but isn't. Here's a handy guide to help with your soft-plastic recycling.
What are soft plastics?
Soft plastics are lightweight, flexible plastics that can easily be scrunched into a ball. Unlike hard plastics, they become tangled in recycling machinery, so they should never go into your yellow-lid recycling bin. Common examples include plastic shopping bags, chip and biscuit packets, snack and lolly wrappers, etc. A simple rule of thumb: if you can easily scrunch it into a ball and it stays scrunched, it's probably a soft plastic. When in doubt, leave it out.
Where can I recycle soft plastics?
Soft plastics can now be dropped off at participating supermarkets through the retailer-led collection program at Woolworths, Coles and Aldi. More than 700 collection points are already operating across Australia, with bins located near the entrance or customer service desk. You can check if your local supermarket participates in the scheme here.
SPSA is also trialling kerbside soft plastics collections with several councils, which could eventually make recycling soft plastics as easy as putting out your recycling bin each week.
What soft plastics can you recycle?
RECYCLE:
- Plastic shopping bags
- Bread bags
- Biscuit wrappers (but not the plastic trays)
- Chip and snack packet wrappers
- Bubble and cling wrap
- Frozen and fresh produce bags
- Chocolate and muesli bar wrappers
- Pasta, rice and noodle bags
- Pet food bags
- Zip-lock bags (without hard plastic sliders)
- Clean potting mix bags
- Plastic mail satchels
- Cereal box liners
DO NOT RECYCLE:
- Plastic bottles and containers
- Coffee cups
- Meat trays
- Fruit punnets
- Bread tags
- Bottle lids
- Plastic straws
- Toothpaste tubes
- Face masks
- Compostable or biodegradable plastics
- Paper and cardboard
- Food scraps
- Polystyrene
While Australia's new soft plastics recycling scheme is a welcome step forward, recycling alone won't solve our plastic problem. Australians used more than 4 million tonnes of plastic packaging, yet only around 14 per cent was recovered for recycling.
The reality is that the most effective way to reduce plastic waste is to create less of it in the first place. Reducing our reliance on single-use plastics is the best way forward. For instance, when you go grocery shopping, remember to take your reusable shopping bags and choose loose fruit and vegetables rather than pre-packaged options. Don’t forget to carry a reusable water bottle and coffee cup. After all, the best piece of plastic is the one that never needs to be recycled in the first place.