The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) is working with a group of South Australian Councils to trial kerbside soft plastic packaging recycling. Households in the areas will receive kits with rubbish bags specifically for soft plastics, which, when full, can be placed in the regular council recycling bins.
The trial is a partnership between the AFGC and CAWRA (the Central Adelaide Waste and Recycling Authority) and will be co-funded by food and grocery manufacturers and State and Commonwealth Governments.
“Our community is telling us they want to recycle soft plastics. CAWRA is committed to being part of the solution to soft plastic recycling and to making recycling as easy as possible for residents. Soft plastics are only recyclable if they’re presented in one of the specially designed bags we mail to households as part of this trial,” said John Niarchos, CAWRA CEO.
“Placing soft plastics inside brightly coloured bags in kerbside recycling bins has worked well for a number of Councils interstate. This trial will help us understand the level of public support for this approach and what take-up we might see here in South Australia. We are deliberately testing slightly different approaches in each of the 3 Councils.”
Four thousand households across three councils will be participating in the trial.
“Soft plastic packaging plays a vital role in ensuring the freshness and protection of food, personal care and home care products. Manufacturers use soft plastics because they are strong and light with a low carbon footprint, and the industry is committed to further improving the environmental profile of this material,” said Tanya Barden, AFGC CEO.
