Just under 120 kg of soft plastics were dropped off at Shellharbour’s collection point last November. Photo: Shellharbour City Council.
Illawarra residents have two final opportunities to drop off their soft plastics waste as part of a trial by the region’s councils.
Since November last year, the Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation (ISJO) has been conducting a trial of free collection points in Kiama, Shellharbour, Wollongong and the Shoalhaven.
Shellharbour City Mayor Chris Homer said the first soft plastics collection last year was hugely successful.
“We had a great response to the first soft plastic recycling drop-off and we are confident that the second edition is going to continue to grow,” he said.
The Shellharbour November event collected 117 kg of soft plastic – enough to fill 18 large wheelie bins.
Soft plastics make up about seven per cent (by mass) of red-lid bin contents, according to Shellharbour’s most recent residential kerbside bin audit.
However, soft plastics take up significantly more space due to their very low density.
Soft plastics are flexible materials that can be easily scrunched into a ball.
The following items can be recycled:
- Plastic bags: clear and coloured
- Biscuit and snack wrappers
- Chip packets and other silver-lined snack wrappers
- Fresh and frozen food wrappers/bags
- Pasta bags, rice bags (both plastic and woven types), bread bags, and cereal liners
- Cling wrap, bubble wrap, and snap lock zip bags
- Document sleeves, mail satchels, and carrier bags
- Plastic pet food bags
All plastics should be clean, empty and dry before drop-off.
All the collected waste will be baled then transported to IQRenew in Taree, on the NSW mid North Coast.
The facility is Australia’s first purpose-built site for processing soft plastics.
It transforms post-consumer soft plastic into high-grade materials which are used in products such as non-food grade films, construction and agricultural products, park benches, bollards, fence posts and other moulded products.
Kiama Council will host its event on Saturday 15 February at the Minnamurra Waste and Recycling Facility, from 8 am to noon.
In Shellharbour, the collection will be on Sunday 23 February from 9 am to 3 pm at the Albion Oval carpark, Ash Avenue, Albion Park Rail.
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