AUSTRALIA (Commonwealth Union)_ A soft plastics recycling programme at major supermarkets has been halted after the business in charge stated that it could no longer dump the material to recyclers.
The REDcycle scheme has been in place at Coles and Woolworths supermarkets for several years, and the firm claims that it has helped divert billions of pieces of soft plastic material, such as shopping bags, from trash. However, REDcycle recently announced that its collection would be halted since its recycling partners have temporarily ceased receiving and processing soft plastics.
According to the corporation, there has been a 350% rise in plastic returned since 2019, but concerns associated to the epidemic have imposed “unsustainable pressure” on its economic model.
REDcycle founder Liz Kasell stated that the material gathered will be stored until the plan can resume. “Our team is devastated that the initiative will be suspended, and we will do everything we can, in collaboration with retail, industry, and government, to get it back up and running as quickly as possible.”
Ms Kasell stated that there are now no recycling organisations in Australia that can process soft plastic, but she is hoping that the initiative will resume next year. “I started this programme at my kitchen table when I saw a bag of peas and wondered why on earth this couldn’t be recycled?” she said. “My goal with this programme has been to enable and empower community members like myself to have a good impact on the environment.”
The suspension was announced by REDcycle in response to a severe fire at its partner Close the Loop’s recycling facility. According to REDcycle, its other partner, Replas, has encountered “major pandemic-related downturns in market demand as well as other obstacles.”
REDcycle recommended individuals to throw away their soft plastic waste rather than returning it to supermarket pickup sites. The suspension was “disappointing”, according to Australian Council of Recycling CEO Suzanne Toumbourou, but she was sure the scheme will be reinstated.
