Hoarders of soft plastics can heave a huge sigh of relief. For the first time since the collapse of the supermarket REDcycle scheme in late 2022, residents will have a regular chance to dispose of their bread bags, frozen veg packets and clingwrap this spring.
Unanderra's Flagstaff Group – a social enterprise that provides life skills and work for people with disabilities – is set to host weekly drop-offs as part of a new project run by Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation (ISJO), which represents Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and Shoalhaven councils.
"Flagstaff is ongoing, starting straightaway, which is amazing," said Dr Helen Lewis, chair of volunteer group Circular Plastics Illawarra. "It's because they are partnering ISJO to bale and store the plastics until they have a truck load ready to go to Taree."
Flagstaff has previously collected only clear plastics but is now accepting household/coloured soft plastics.
Soft plastics can be dropped to Flagstaff's premises at 262 Nolan Street from Monday to Thursday, 4:15-4:45pm, and on Saturdays from 8-10:45am. From Unanderra, the waste will be transported to iQRenew, Australia's first purpose-built soft plastics recycling facility, near Taree on the Mid North Coast. There it will be turned into bottle inserts, baskets, fence posts, FOGO caddies and more.
In addition to the Flagstaff drop-offs, residents can look forward to pop-up events at Towradgi, Albion Park and Kiama this spring.
Soft plastics – essentially, anything scrunchable – can be dropped off for recycling on:
- Sunday, 14 September, 8am-12 noon – Albion Oval Carpark, Ash Avenue Albion Park Rail
- Saturday, 25th October, 8am-12 noon – Ray Robinson Field Carpark, Moray Rd, Towradgi
- Saturday, 8 November, 8am-12 noon – Kiama waste and recycling depot, Riverside Dr, Minnamurra
The soft plastics must be clean, empty and dry.
"CPI members are thrilled that we now have more drop-off events scheduled, and an ongoing service through Flagstaff Group," Helen said. "We want to congratulate ISJO, the three councils and Flagstaff for making it happen.
"We know that many people in the community have continued to separate their soft plastics for recycling, and will be really happy to have a short-term solution at least. I’m confident that we’re also getting closer to permanent solutions for soft plastics in the Illawarra."
Announced on Friday, the news is more proof of the power of grassroots action.
Local volunteers founded Circular Plastics Illawarra in early 2023 to lobby for recycling solutions for soft plastics. They have a wider vision of a circular economy, where problem plastics have been eliminated and the remaining plastic packaging is reduced and reused or recycled.
For the past two years, the volunteers have worked with ISJO, helping to run events and bring people together to find a fix for our growing garbage problem.
ISJO's pilot project – with drop-offs held at the end of 2024 and the start of 2025 – was hugely successful in recycling a ton of rubbish. Wollongong alone contributed 814kg in soft plastics, enough to fill more than 100 wheelie bins.
For more information, visit the ISJO website, www.circularplasticsillawarra.org or watch the iQRenew's film about its groundbreaking SPEC (Soft Plastic Engineered Commodity) facility.
1/09/2025: Story updated with additional information.