Big change coming for supermarket bag problem

Three years after a popular soft plastic recycling program was shut down, a trial has launched in Woolworths stores.

Three years after a popular soft plastic recycling program was shut down, a trial has launched in Australian supermarkets.

The Soft Plastics Taskforce — which consists of Woolworths, Aldi and Coles — has launched a trial in 120 Woolies stores in Western Sydney, as well as regional coastal stores in New South Wales.

There are plans to expand it to another 500 stores nationwide in the next 12 months.

The trial, which has collection points that allows Aussie shoppers to drop off their soft plastics, is in selected supermarkets for all three giants - Coles, Woolworths and Aldi - however Coles and Aldi currently only have collection points in Melbourne, VIC.

“The Soft Plastics Taskforce has now launched recycling trials in around 120 supermarkets, and has been careful not to exceed limited local recycling capacity as it works with the broader industry to responsibly rebuild the soft plastic recycling system,” a spokesperson from the taskforce told news.com.au.

Woolworths, Aldi and Coles are expanding its soft plastic trial, after REDcycle (pictured) shut down in 2022. Picture: Facebook

“We’re in close contact with soft plastic recyclers as they rebuild, and expand their operations, with a number of new recyclers starting to open their doors over the last year.

The biggest challenge still remains that there is simply not enough soft plastic recycling capacity in Australia to support nationwide collections.

“The Taskforce was set up in the wake of the REDcycle collapse as an interim measure to facilitate an immediate response to the stockpiles left by REDcycle and commence work on a new recycling scheme.

“A more permanent, industry-wide soft plastics stewardship program is currently in the works to bring together all manufacturers and retailers who generate household soft plastics and continue to grow recycling collections.”

Woolworths, Coles and Aldi stepped up to the plate when REDcycle collapsed in 2022 after it failed to pay storage fees on thousands of tonnes of plastic, despite earning $20 million from the Coles and Woolworths program that had run for the previous decade.

Woolworths, Coles and Aldi joined forces to create the Soft Plastics Taskforce. Picture: news.com.au

Woolworths and Coles said they would take on responsibility for tonnes of stockpiled soft plastic stored in sites across Australia — however none of the supermarkets operate soft plastic recycling facilities.

The Soft Plastics Taskforce was responsible for finding recycling providers to process soft plastic stockpiles that continued to be discovered around the country. Over the last 18 months, new soft plastic recycling facilities — not owned by the supermarkets — have opened their doors.

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water estimated Australians used 70 billion pieces of soft plastics each year.

About one million tonnes of Australia’s annual plastic consumption was single use plastic with most of that ending up in landfill, only 13 per cent of Australia’s single use plastic consumption was recycled.

The supermarkets have been given authorisation by the ACC to collaborate on the project until July 31, 2026 while the Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia fully forms.

The supermarkets itselves have been working towards removing soft plastics from stores, including now having paper bags and cutting down on product packaging.

Originally published as Big change coming for supermarket bag problem