Greens’ proposal as Coles, Woolworths ordered to dump ‘Olympic-sized swimming pools’ of soft plastics

Coles and Woolworths have been ordered to dump thousands of tonnes of soft plastics – estimated to fill several Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The Greens have launched a plan to help reduce soft plastics ending up in landfill after Australia’s two biggest supermarket chains were caught stockpiling thousands of kilograms of waste in warehouses.

Coles and Woolworths were issued a draft Clean-up Notice by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) in New South Wales and Victoria on Friday to remove soft plastics stockpiled.

The supermarket giants are accused of stockpiling 5200 tonnes of soft plastics across 15 sites in NSW, along with another 293 tonnes at 14 confirmed sites in Victoria.

Coles and Woolworths have been ordered to dump thousands of kilograms of soft plastics in landfill after a failed recycling program. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

The stockpiles were discovered after the retailers had promoted the failed REDcycle soft plastics collection program to their customers.

The program was meant to divert soft plastics from landfill in a bid to reduce waste.

NSW EPA chief Tony Chappel said the retailers failed their customers by not appropriately disposing of stockpiled waste after the collapse of REDcycle.

“Thousands of customers diligently collected soft plastics and dropped them into their local supermarket’s collection bin because they trusted their waste would be diverted from landfill and recycled,” Mr Chappel said.

“The extent of soft plastic waste sitting in warehouses across NSW is very concerning and I know customers will be disappointed.

“These stockpiles are stored from the floor to the ceiling, blocking entry ways and preventing adequate ventilation with the soft plastic estimated to fill about three-and-a-half Olympic-sized swimming pools.

“To protect our communities and environment, these materials need to be removed to reduce the risk of a fire.”

NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann said the government must take immediate action to prevent further soft plastics unnecessarily ending up in landfill.

Greens MP Cate Faehrmann is calling for better management of soft plastics after Woolworths and Coles were found with mountains of waste. Picture: Supplied

Their proposed plan would also look to dedicate $100 million from the Waste Levy towards establishing soft plastics recycling schemes.

“The Greens plan will create a sustainable soft plastics recycling scheme that won’t disappear overnight,” Ms Faehrmann said.

“Mandated procurement targets will ensure that there is a market for recycled soft plastics and that soft plastics recycling schemes not only survive but thrive.

“The community is crying out for options to recycle their waste, this should be a no-brainer.”

Fire and Rescue NSW were notified about the warehouses after the EPA determined there was a high-risk fire potential at each of storage facilities in 11 local government areas.

Woolworths has been ordered to dispose of its stockpile of soft plastics in New South Wales and Victoria. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

Meanwhile, Victoria EPA were alerted to the four new sites after Fire and Rescue Victoria were sent to inspect sites over health and safety concerns.

“If not stored safely, soft plastics can pose a fire risk,” Victoria EPA CEO Lee Miezis said.

“Businesses need to manage this risk using controls such as built-in fire suppression systems, storage size limits and minimum separation distances between stockpiles.”

Mr Chappel said while the materials will likely end up in landfill despite but the regulatory action had to be taken.

“Despite this setback, which is a major blow to consumer confidence, we want to reaffirm our commitment to triple the recycling rate of plastics by 2030,” he said.

Both supermarkets have six days to comment on the draft notices.

A Woolworths spokeswoman said the supermarket chain was surprised to receive the draft notice.

“REDcycle has indicated they have plans to deal with these stockpiles,” the spokeswoman told NCA NewsWire.

“We will seek clarity from the NSW EPA on its position in the days ahead.”

A Coles spokeswoman said the retailer is considering its options in regard to the draft notice and will respond within the required timeline.

“We were surprised to have received the draft notice from the NSW EPA, particularly given the more than 200 participants who were also committed to the now collapsed REDcycle program,” the spokeswoman said.

“We continue to work with the Soft Plastics Taskforce and government to play a part in finding alternative solutions to plastic recycling in Australia.”