Qld soft plastics recycling trial

The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) has applauded the Queensland Government’s $1 million investment in a new soft plastics recycling pilot, which will trial new approaches to recycle the waste.

The initiative, in partnership with Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia Ltd (SPSA), builds on years of industry collaboration to create a circular economy for soft plastics.

AFGC CEO Tanya Barden said: “We are pleased to see the Queensland Government take action on soft plastics recycling.”

“This funding, combined with SPSA’s work, is a vital step toward long-term solutions.”

Under the pilot, trial hubs will be established in locations across Queensland to test different ways to allow people to return soft plastic packaging, including kerbside yellow-lid bins, return-to-store options and council drop-off points. It will also focus on developing local processing capabilities, a key challenge in Australia’s ability to recycle soft plastics effectively.

With the federal government exploring options to reform Australia’s packaging regulations, the industry sees this as an opportunity to achieve packaging consistency across the country and supply chains. A unified approach would streamline processes, reduce confusion and drive progress towards a circular economy.

“The community has made it clear how much they value the ability to recycle soft plastics and want to see it return,” said Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef Leanne Linard.

“We’re committed to moving towards a circular economy, where as much valuable material as possible is diverted from landfill through reuse, recycling and remanufacturing.”

The trials will start in Brisbane before the end of 2024, with the Sunshine Coast, Goondiwindi and Cairns to follow in the coming months.

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