Plastic Free July Challenge – Be a Recycling Rockstar!
Hi greenthumbs!
Welcome to the 4th and final week of Plastic Free July! We have been discovering ways to REuse, REfill and REfuse. But there’s another “re” word we need to remember and that is REcycle!
Of course, the best way to reduce single-use plastic is to say no to single-use plastics in the first place. But if you do end up with single-use plastic, you can still help our planet by handling your rubbish with care.
Calling all greenthumbs … I challenge you to recycle your soft plastics!
how to recycle soft plastics
Did you know that you can recycle soft plastics? Yes, you can!
The important thing to know is that, in most places, you CAN’T put soft plastics in your yellow-lid recycling bin.
Most councils can’t accept soft plastics for recycling in your kerbside bin because they jam the sorting machines. We love jam (on toast!) and we love music jams (we are all for those jams!), but we do not love plastic jams!!
So how do you recycle soft plastics? Easy peasy! Soft plastics can be recycled by popping them in a REDcycle drop off bin. You will find these out the front of most Coles and Woolworths stores.
The plastic is processed and then delivered to Victorian manufacturer Replas where it undergoes an incredible transformation. It is turned into recycled-plastic products like fitness equipment, outdoor furniture, signs and all sorts of other things.
what soft plastics can go in the redcycle bin?
So what can go in the REDcycle bin? The general rule is any soft plastic that can be scrunched into a ball. Do the scrunch test! This includes plastic shopping bags, bread bags (without the tie), biscuits packets (outer wrapper only), chips and cracker packets (silver lined), frozen food bags, cereal box liners and pasta bags.
did you know?
Did you know that all Australian states and territories, except for NSW, have banned lightweight plastic shopping bags? And NSW will be banning them from 2022. Some states have already banned plastic straws, drink stirrers, cutlery, and polystyrene food and drink containers! So there are big changes happening to make the jump away from single-use plastic! And we are more than ready for it!!
little things make a big difference
That’s a wrap! That’s the end of our Plastic Free July Challenge! But it’s not really the end at all. It is just the beginning! You can keep taking planet-positive actions every day.
It’s the little things we do that make a BIG DIFFERENCE!
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