Soft Plastics Recycling
Following a successful one-year trial that diverted over 10 tonnes of soft plastics from landfill (the equivalent weight of six small cars), the service is here to stay! Residents can continue to drop off eligible household soft plastics for free at the CRC and Mobile CRC drop-off points.
Where can I drop off Soft Plastics?
The collection point or drop-off point for soft plastics is the Community Recycling Centre, located within the Resource Recovery Centre at the Mobile Community Recycling Centre (MCRC).
Please click on our interactive Soft Plastics Recycling flyer below, where you can also choose to download a PDF version of this flyer.
About the Trial
The Soft Plastics Recycling Trial began on Monday 1 April 2024 and concluded 30 June 2025.
What happens next
Following a successful one-year trial the service is here to stay! You can continue to drop off eligible household soft plastics free at the CRC and MCRC drop off points.
What items can I drop off?
- Biscuit packaging
- Bread bags
- Bubble wrap
- Cereal box liners
- Chocolate wrappers
- Citrus netting bags
- Cling wraps
- Confectionary packets and bags
- Courier satchels
- Fresh produce bags
- Frozen foods bags
- Muesli bar wrappers
- Newspaper wrap
- Pasta and noodle packaging
- Plastic film
- Plastic sachets
- Reusable shopping/grocery bags
- Rice bags
- Shopping centre plastic bags
- Silver lined chip bags
- Snap-lock bags
- Squeeze pouches
- Sturdy pet food bags
What items are NOT accepted?
These items listed are materials that will not be accepted.
- Biodegradable/compostable plastics
- Drinking straws
- Rigid plastic containers
- Laminated materials
- Soft Plastic with food waste
What is the cost for disposal of soft plastics?
It's FREE to drop off soft plastics.
During the trial period, residents could drop off soft plastics free of charge at the designated drop-off points at both the Community Recycling Centre and the Mobile Community Recycling Centre. After the trial, this service will remain FREE.
What happens to the soft plastics?
Soft plastics collected at the Community Recycling Centre are stored onsite and scheduled for monthly collection by Recycle Smart. Once collected, the soft plastics are baled and transported to APR Plastics in Victoria for processing. At APR Plastics, the plastics undergo shredding to ensure consistent feeding into the processing line.
The shredded plastics are then fed into the Biofabrik WASTX pyrolysis machine, where a specially designed corkscrew conveyor transports them into the reactor, breaking them down at high temperatures. This process converts the plastics into feedstock oil, which is subsequently sent to VIVA Energy’s Geelong refinery for further processing into resin. This resin facilitates the transformation of the material back into food-grade plastic packaging.
To prevent stockpiling concerns akin to past incidents, such as those encountered by Red Cycle, a proactive strategy is adopted. Product collection occurs monthly at the Community Recycling Centre in Moss Vale, with Recycle Smart managing the logistics of transportation directly to APR Plastics. This streamlined process not only addresses stockpiling risks but also advances a circular economy model by effectively recycling plastic waste into valuable resources.
How can I tell what is a 'Soft Plastic'?
Soft plastic is a material that can be scrunched in your hand, and remain in a 'ball' like shape for more than a few seconds, the material may expand slightly after the compression. Alternatively, you may wish to look for the Australasian Recycling Label, this clearly identifies the recyclability of a material and the instructions of disposal.