Helen Lewis shares an update from the volunteers at Circular Plastics Illawarra
Circular Plastics Illawarra's next meeting is on Friday, 31 October, from 9.15-11am at Corrimal Community Centre and online (all welcome).
Soft plastics drop-off
Wollongong Council is hosting the next drop-off event in conjunction with the Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation (ISJO) and Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia (SPSA). Details:
- Saturday, 25 October 2025, 8am to 12pm.
- Ray Robinson Oval, Towradgi. Entry to the car park is off Moray Road.
- Open to residents of Kiama, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven and Wollongong councils.
Residents can also drop soft plastics off for recycling at limited times in Unanderra:
- Monday to Thursday, 4.15pm to 4.45pm and Saturdays, 8am to 10.45am – Flagstaff Group, 262 Nolan Street, Unanderra. Please note, no access is available outside these times. All items must be clean, dry and empty.
Kiama Council is hosting an ISJO drop-off event on Saturday, 8 November, 8am to 12pm at the Kiama Waste and Recycling Depot, Minnamurra.
Ensure that your plastics are clean, dry and empty. No rigid plastics, polystyrene or biscuit trays please.
For more information on what can and can’t be collected: https://spsa.au/accepted-
The collected material will be transported to iQRenew in Taree for recycling.
Recycling in Shoalhaven Council
Clean, soft plastic can now be dropped off at the following recycling and waste depots: West Nowra, Huskisson, Ulladulla, Berry, Callala and Sussex Inlet. This material will be sent to a recycling residuals program to produce Processed Engineered Fuels (PEF).
For more information, visit Shoalhaven Council's website.
Buying recycled products to close the loop
While we congratulate ISJO and SPSA for providing the additional soft plastic collections, we now urgently need councils and other local organisations to buy products made from recycled soft plastics to ensure that recycling is sustainable.
Examples from two companies:
- iQRenew: shred, flake and pellets provided to manufacturers making bins, kitchen caddies, garbage bags, buckets, fence posts and other products;
- Close the Loop: TonerPlas asphalt improvement additive and plastic pellets that can be used to make pallets, crates, trolleys, baskets, tubs etc.
Learn more about plastic recycling in the Illawarra
Impact Hour Illawarra on 25 November 2025 will explore how plastics are being — and can be — recycled across our region. Featuring two leading local companies that have made significant strides in plastics recycling, alongside two experts specialising in plastics and supply chain systems, the forum will unpack what businesses, consumers, and the community can do to support recycling efforts and accelerate the shift toward a circular economy.
When and where: 25 November, 5:30-8pm at Reub Goldberg Brewing Machine, Tarrawanna. Learn more and register here.
For more information, visit the Circular Plastics Illawarra website
