Soft Plastics Recycling Update
Helen Lewis, Circular Plastics Illawarra 24/03/2025. (This Article, published in Illawarra Frame, April 2025 digital edition, on page 24 ). Hear Helen being interviewed by Melinda James of ABC Illawarra Breakfast show. See link at bottom of this article, above photo, for link and instructions.
Over the past few months our volunteers have supported the Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation (ISJO) and its four member councils – Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and Shoalhaven – to run 9 events across the region to collect soft plastics for recycling. It was a pilot project to help councils evaluate the feasibility of an ongoing program. (See Soft Plastics Collection Days (Completed) below) for the original announcement.
Despite limited promotion the community responded with enthusiasm and turned up in large numbers. Many people mentioned that they had been stockpiling plastics since the collapse of REDcycle as they couldn’t bear to put them in the bin, and they were just hoping that a solution would be found. They were pleased to finally have an outlet and keen to know whether it would continue.
What happened to the collected plastics?
The plastics were transported to the Kiama Community Recycling Centre, where small amounts of contamination were removed before baling ready for transport. The total amount collected was around 2.5 tonnes, or 9 cubic metres of soft plastics diverted from landfill.
The plastics were transported to All Product Recycling in Minto, where it was shredded and densified, ready for recycling into a new product. The densified plastic was sent to Close the Loop’s factory in Melbourne, where it was manufactured into an asphalt additive called TonerPlas. This is a key ingredient for making high-performance asphalt roads that last longer and require less maintenance than traditional asphalt.
What happens next?
ISJO and its member councils are now evaluating the results of the pilot to determine next steps. Circular Plastics Illawarra is calling for our local councils to:
1. Incorporate a small proportion of TonerPlas into a local road
Recycling doesn’t happen until the material is remanufactured into something new, and local councils need to do their bit to ‘close the loop’.
2. Provide a permanent drop-off facility for soft plastics in the Community Recycling Centres, including at Whytes Gully
Many community members are continuing to collect, sort and clean their soft plastics for recycling because they care about the impacts of plastics in the environment and in landfill. This will provide an interim solution while a national stewardship program is being rolled out by a not-for-profit organisation called Soft plastics Stewardship Australia.
Helen Lewis from Circular Plastics Illawarra was interviewed about the Illawarra’s Soft Plastics Drop of trial on ABC Illawarra's Breakfast show with Melinda James at 7:52 AM on Friday 28th March, 2025. The interview starts at 2:22:20 on the player’s progress bar. It runs for about 7 mins 7 secs. You will need to click and drag the player’s progress bar position dot at the bottom of the player, all the way to the right, which will take you to 2:21:23 (the limit of the player progress bar when you first open it), then let it play for a minute to get to the start of the interview. Click on the link above to hear it.
Photo 1: The ISJO and Kiama Council team with collected plastics (Photo: Yvette Barrs - ISJO)
Soft Plastics Drop Off Days (Completed)
Good news! The event you have all been waiting for! (Updated 24/2/2025).
Circular Plastics Illawarra is excited to pass on dates for soft plastics recycling drop off days. Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation (ISJO) along with Wollongong City, Shellharbour City, Kiama Municipal and Shoalhaven City councils have finalised dates for Soft Plastics drop days. Soft plastic dropped off will be bagged, bundled and aggregated to be sent to a recycling facility to be recycled. See details with dates below.
Here are some more details on the local council soft plastics drop-off events. (All Drop off dates have now been completed. The 5 events in November and December collected a whopping 1,200 kg of soft plastics.
Data for the two additional collections that occurred in Kiama on 15th February and Albion Park 23rd February is yet to be included.
WHEN AND WHERE (Check here for last minute updates)
Friday 27th Dec 7.30am - 12pm Fred Finch Park, Berkeley (Conducted)
Saturday 28th Dec 7.30am - 12pm Rex Jackson Oval, Helensburgh (Conducted)
Monday 30th Dec 7.30am - 12pm Ziems Park, Corrimal (Conducted)
Sunday 24th November 9.00am – 3pm Albion Oval car park, Ash Ave, Albion Park Rail
(Conducted). Read More.
Sunday 23th February 9.00am – 3pm Albion Oval car park, Ash Ave, Albion Park Rail
(Conducted).
Wednesday 20th November 8am – 4pm Kiama Community Recycling Centre, Riverside Drive, Minnamurra
(Conducted). Read More.
Saturday 15th February 8am – 12pm Kiama Community Recycling Centre, Riverside Drive, Minnamurra
Shoalhaven
Wednesday 12th February 8am – 4pm Ulladulla recycling & waste depot, Pirralea Rd, Ulladulla
(Conducted)
Wednesday 12th February 8am – 4pm West Nowra recycling & waste depot, Flatrock Rd, Mundamia
(Conducted)
WHAT YOU CAN RECYCLE
Clean, dry and empty soft plastic packaging
Soft plastics are any flexible plastics than can easily scrunched into a ball
Examples: plastic bags, wrap, pasta bags, chip packets, biscuit wrap, snack wrappers, frozen food bags, bubble wrap, pet food bags etc
A poster with more information on what you can recycle is available here.
How to identify what soft plastic will be accepted for recycling collection. Must be Clean, Empty and Dry