Council will soon start a trial to make it easier for Northern Beaches residents to recycle plastic wrapping, bread bags and other soft plastics.  

'Soft plastics' or 'scrunchable plastics' are commonly used in for consumer product packing. Since the suspension of the national REDcycle program that ran out of popular supermarkets, our residents have had nowhere to drop off these plastics for recycling.  

At its meeting on 28 February, Council resolved to pursue a soft plastics collection and processing trial for the Northern Beaches at dropoff locations.  

Council is currently negotiating with recycling suppliers and will release trial details shortly. 

Council will also continue to monitor the market and look at opportunities for larger-scale collections and recycling, should funding and markets for recycled soft plastics be available.

Mayor Regan said that although soft plastics recycling is a national challenge that needs a whole of supply chain solution, we can act locally to help. 

"The best thing anyone can do to help solve our soft plastics problem is to avoid them, but avoiding them altogether is almost impossible," he said.  

'We have spent years investigating the collection and recycling of soft plastics and exploring possible options for schemes and programs that will help facilitate recycling within our community. There are real challenges facing  soft plastics recycling, but we want to help find long-term solutions and alternatives.

"This trial is an excellent step in the right direction, and we're hoping it leads to keeping soft plastics out of landfill as much as possible".  

Council will continue to work with the community to promote and educate residents around living sustainably, avoiding waste and recycling.