A massive change is coming to hundreds of Woolworths stores that will benefit not only shoppers but also the environment.
The supermarket giant plans to roll out its in-store soft plastics collection trial to 500 outlets in the next 12 months.
Woolworths’ biggest challenge in expanding the 120-store trial until now is that there wasn’t enough soft plastic recycling capacity to make nationwide collections feasible.
The rollout will extend to stores across metropolitan Sydney and Melbourne, parts of south-east Queensland, the ACT and Adelaide.
‘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 told Yahoo.
‘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 taskforce was set up as an interim measure following the collapse of REDcycle in 2022.
Despite being paid $20million by Woolwoths and rival Coles to recycle plastic bags and other items for nearly a decade, REDcycle instead stored a mountain of waste in at least 44 sites.
Woolworths has announced a major change which will massively benefit customers and the environment (stock image)
The supermarket giant will expand its in-store soft plastics collection trial from 120 stores to 500 nationally
When REDcycle collapsed in November 2022, the Melbourne-based firm was Australia’s largest soft plastic collection program but had been unable to conduct normal operations since the preceding June after a fire destroyed its factory.
A Woolworths spokesperson added a ‘more permanent, industry-wide soft plastic stewardship program’ will be established to bring together all manufacturers and retailers who generate household soft plastics.
Recycling soft plastic is crucial to reducing landfill waste but can only be recycled once or twice before it starts to degrade, limiting the ability to reuse.
Shopping bags, plastic wrap and product packaging all deteriorate quickly during the recycling process, unlike rigid plastics, which can be recycled more often.
An astonishing 538,000 tonnes of soft plastic waste is produced every year in Australia, so there is massive scope to reduce landfill and environmental damage by ramping up recycling programs.
Woolworths will work toward increasing recycling points for soft plastics
The Soft Plastics Taskforce, which includes Woolworths, Coles and Aldi, does not own or operate any soft plastic recycling facilities.
Instead, other companies with expertise in recycling manage such operations, with the taskforce working with them to increase capacity.
As Woolworths expands its work in the area, recycling collection points are expected to return to the front of stores.
