Reducing soft plastic use is a great way to start your waste reduction journey, but every journey happens in small steps. If you find you’re still using some soft plastics, there will soon be a way to recycle them.

Soft plastic recycling bins are returning to the community next month. The Soft Plastics Recycling Scheme was suspended last year after the volume of plastic collected created a backlog which had to be sent offshore for processing. While all soft plastics collected last year were sent to Australia, there are now two New Zealand processors: Second Life Plastics in Levin and Future Posts in Auckland.

Soft plastics accepted by the scheme include bread bags, produce and frozen food bags, courier packs and bubble wrap. The bins also welcome soft plastic packaging from toilet paper, breakfast cereals and snack foods. Check out the full list of recyclable soft plastics here.

The plastic collected is used by Future Posts to create long-lasting plastic fence posts for farmers. At Second Life Plastics in Levin the plastic makes a range of products including Fibre Optic Cable.

From October, head to selected Countdown and The Warehouse stores in the Hutt Valley to recycle your soft plastic. Every little bit counts!

For more information check out this article, or watch this video to find out how soft plastic is recycled.