The REDcycle soft plastics recycling service is no longer available in Woolworths stores. As you may be aware, in early November 2022, the REDcycle program was suspended when it came to light that REDcycle had been stockpiling collected soft plastics for an unknown period of time due to insufficient processing capacity. While supermarkets were not given specific information on the volume, condition or locations of stockpiled materials, it was determined that it would not be viable, nor responsible, to continue soft plastics collections under these conditions.
What is REDcycle?RG Programs and Services Pty Ltd, which operated under the name REDcycle, previously managed the collection and recycling of soft plastics that customers returned to stores via the REDcycle bins. Woolworths offered customers access to this program for a number of years, as had other retailers. REDcycle has formally entered into administration and a liquidator has been appointed to take control of the failed business.
Can customers still return soft plastics to Woolworths stores?On 7 February 2024, Woolworths, Coles and ALDI, as participants of the Soft Plastics Taskforce, commenced a trial to restart the in-store collection and recycling of soft plastics in 12 supermarkets in Victoria. Woolworths customers will be able to return their household soft plastics in the Soft Plastics Recycling Trial collection bins located at the front of participating stores. You can find more information on this trial (including which Woolworths stores are participating in the trial) here.
Unfortunately, customers cannot bring their soft plastics into Woolworths stores not participating in the trial for soft plastics collection or recycling. We are very sorry for the inconvenience and we are working with other major supermarket retailers as part of the Soft Plastics Taskforce to expand the Soft Plastics Recycling Trail to more stores in new locations as soft plastic recycling capacity increases in Australia.
Where else can I recycle soft plastics?A very small number of councils are currently trialling soft plastic recycling through the council kerbside collection system. Contact your local council to find out whether your household has access to soft plastics recycling.
What else are you doing to reduce plastic going to landfill?We’re working to reduce plastic across our range and have removed thousands of tonnes of plastic from packaging in recent years, and in 2023 we completed our national phase-out of 15c plastic shopping bags and online checkout bags, removing 9000T of plastic from circulation annually.
What is the Soft Plastics Taskforce?The Soft Plastics Taskforce was formed to allow Australia’s major supermarket retailers to work to restore public access to soft plastics recycling. The Taskforce comprises the three major supermarkets, Aldi, Coles and Woolworths. Meetings are chaired by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW). The Taskforce has been meeting regularly since 1 December 2022.
What are the Soft Plastics Taskforce objectives?The purpose of the Taskforce, as authorised by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), is to develop a solution to restore community access to soft plastics recycling following the suspension of the REDcycle program.
The Taskforce’s core objectives are to:
- Resume access to soft plastics recycling through Australian supermarkets
- Restore public confidence in soft plastics recycling
- Maximise the recovery of soft plastics