Woolworths has switched soft‑plastic recycling back on at scale, with drop‑off bins now in 700 supermarkets across five states after a years‑long hiatus.
The expansion follows a February 2024 pilot in five Victorian stores and extends to selected South Australian locations this week.
Shoppers have applauded the move online, calling it “brilliant” and “about time”.
Since the trial began, customers have returned an estimated 40 million pieces of soft plastic – roughly 310,000 kilograms – according to the retailer.
Collected plastics are being turned into practical products, from wall panelling used in stores to packaging that includes recycled content, such as home‑brand bread bags now made with 30 per cent recycled material.
MORE NEWS
Reject Shop axed as takeover moves ahead
Retail giant teeters on brink of collapse
Inside Aus’s most notorious former youth prison
Woolworths has announced that soft plastic recycling bins are now active across 700 stores around the country. Source: Nine News
The restart sits within a broader effort led by Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia, which includes brands such as Mars, Nestlé and McCormick Foods, to rebuild local recycling pathways after previous schemes collapsed.
Woolworths 360 managing director Rob McCartney said customers had been clear they wanted soft‑plastic recycling back, and the retailer was working with local partners to scale capacity.
“Our customers have continued to advocate for soft plastic recycling,” he said.
“We are proud to partner with innovative recyclers such as iQRenew, which has opened a new facility in NSW that has the capacity to process 14,000 tonnes per year of soft plastics.
“While saveBOARD is transforming soft plastic waste into building materials that we are already using in 170 stores.”
Wrappers, water bottles, bags and soft packaging can all be recycled using these bins. Source: Nine News
Experts caution that soft plastics present unique hurdles: unlike rigid plastics, films and wrappers usually withstand only one or two recycling cycles before degrading, limiting their use in the same form.
Keeping the system viable demands careful sorting, strong quality control and continued investment in processing.
Soft plastics make up an estimated 538,000 tonnes of Australia’s annual plastic waste. Source: Nine News
The stakes are significant.
Soft plastics make up an estimated 538,000 tonnes of Australia’s annual plastic waste, and without reliable recycling programs much of it ends up in landfill, undermining circular economy goals.
A list of participating stores is available on Woolworths’ website.