Peak industry bodies say the halt has exposed deeper problems within the packaging industry
• Follow our Australia news live blog for the latest updates
• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast
Soft plastic is hard to escape but the guilt of using it for many Australians has been assuaged by bringing their haul to recycling collection points at major supermarkets.
The news Australia’s largest plastic bag recycling program, REDcycle, has paused its collection program comes as a blow to Australians trying to do the right thing by the environment.
What’s happened?
REDcycle announced late on Tuesday that it was pausing collections at Woolworths and Coles. The suspension came after the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age reported on Tuesday that soft plastic items were being stockpiled by REDcycle under the scheme rather than recycled.
Peak industry bodies such as the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia, and the Australian Food and Grocery Council, as well as not-for-profit operations such as the Boomerang Alliance, say the incident has exposed deeper problems within the packaging industry.
These organisations have called for a major change from supply chains and government to create a longer-term, larger-scale program to recycle soft plastics.
What should I do with my soft plastics now?
Some soft plastics may be able to be reused by people at home in ways that are familiar to many – reusing plastic bags for bin liners, dog poo collection or storage.
Biodegradable plastic is also an option for some products.
But many soft plastics are difficult to reuse.
• Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup
REDcycle has said that “for the short term, consumers are encouraged to put their soft plastics in their home rubbish bin”.

All right to theguardian : https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/09/supermarkets-are-pausing-soft-plastic-recycling-what-should-i-do-with-my-plastic-bags-now

Published: 07.04.22, 21:37