Shoppers will soon have the opportunity to recycle soft plastics at leading supermarkets nationwide, thanks to a rejuvenated national initiative.
Following a successful pilot phase, more than 700 Woolworths locations across the country will feature dedicated bins for plastics recycling.
In addition to Woolworths, both Coles and Aldi are implementing similar soft plastics recycling solutions.
An industry task force anticipates resolving the remaining plastic backlog by the end of the upcoming month, with new manufacturers ready to process these materials into innovative products.
Barry Cosier, CEO of Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia, shared with 9News that the recycled plastics will be transformed into everyday building materials and food-safe packaging.
This transformation will include items such as wall panels, benches, and new packaging for products like bread and candy.
Australian Council of Recycling chief executive Suzanne Toumbourou said the organisation felt proud of the initiative to reprocess soft plastics.
“It takes a lot of grit and lot of technological prowess to be able to remake this material,” Toumbourou said.
Soft plastics are not able to be thrown into a regular home recycling bin.
The Recycle Mate website or app can help households work out what can be recycled and where to take it.
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