National Plan Released to Recycling Soft Plastics…

National Plan Released to Recycling Soft Plastics… 

We know plenty of us still feel the devastation around the collapse of RedCycle and the soft plastics recycling plan. While recycling our soft plastics was not the solution, it prevented so much plastic waste from going into landfills (or so we thought...). 

Over to the good news! We will dive into how you could soon be back to recycling your soft plastics but, more importantly, how manufacturers will be making great strides in the production and creation of their packaging so that you won't need to rely on such programs!  

So, grab a cuppa and settle in because we're about to dive into the next steps in place for Australia's soft plastics problem…

The Soft Plastics Problem…

Soft plastic packaging, estimated to account for 449,000 tonnes in Australia, poses a significant environmental hazard. The collapse of the REDcycle plastics recovery scheme has caused concern, demonstrating the need for a sustainable solution that ensures soft plastics are reduced or collected and recycled. 

The Soft Plastics Plan in 5 Steps…

1. The National Plastics Action Plan aims to ensure 100% recyclability, compostability, or reusability.

2. It aims to sufficiently collect and recycle soft plastics to meet the 2025 packaging targets. Woot woot!

3. The plan will ensure that producers and retailers of soft plastics avoid and reduce unnecessary packaging and provide only specifically designed and labelled packaging to be readily and easily recoverable by the resource recovery industry. 

4. It would also introduce effective collection/transport services for households and businesses using soft plastics. Furthermore, the cost associated with the collection, transport, recovery, and processing of soft plastics will be the responsibility of the producers.

5. The plan will also ensure that soft plastic redesign, reduction, recovery, procurement, national standards, and use of recycled content meet desired 2025 packaging targets.

The Next Steps We Can Take…

In conclusion, it is necessary to take legislative action at the earliest opportunity to impose the 2025 packaging targets and establish collection arrangements. 

We are so excited to finally start seeing plans that hold the manufacturers and companies responsible for the waste that comes with their products.

For now, while we can't go back to dropping our soft plastics into our Coles & Woolworths, we can continue to educate and keep trying to avoid soft plastic where we can so we don't need to rely on these recycling initiatives. 

Remember, together, we can navigate the world of waste by choosing reusables, holding companies accountable and by, choosing eco-friendly alternatives and ultimately reducing your plastic footprint, so if you need help figuring out where to start or looking to take your journey to the next level, be sure to contact us below! 

We also have a super cool blog that provides a guide to recycling in Australia that you'll love!

Until next week GFZs! 

Much love, 

GFZ Team xx