Here’s the latest on Woolworths soft plastic recycling:
Woolworths has expanded and relaunched in-store soft plastics recycling to more than 700 stores across five states in Australia. The program now accepts soft plastic packaging again, with South Australia joining recently, and the network aims to cover a wide nationwide footprint. This expansion is part of a broader industry move toward a coordinated national recovery system under Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia (SPSA). [Source: Packaging News reporting on the expansion; Woolworths’ newsroom update confirms the return across 700+ stores as of May 2026][1][3]
Through the renewed program, Woolworths reports that around 40 million pieces of soft plastic have been collected and processed to date (approximately 310 tonnes since the renewal began). Recovered material is used locally, including for in-store wall panelling and 30% recycled-content bread bags. The retailer partners with recyclers including iQRenew, saveBOARD, and Plascrete to deliver the program.[3][1]
The initiative follows a period of suspension and stockpiling that occurred after the collapse of the REDcycle scheme, with Woolworths and other retailers working to reestablish a domestic soft plastics recycling pathway and, where needed, exploring international recycling options. Recent media coverage notes ongoing industry efforts to build a national, single-stream take-back system and to scale processing capacity domestically.[2][1]
Local store activities and regional rollouts vary by state, with ongoing communications from Woolworths and industry groups about progress, capacity, and how to participate. Consumers can typically drop off clean, empty soft plastics at designated bins located near the front of participating stores.[1][3]
Illustration of what’s happening:
If you’d like, I can pull the most recent store list and a quick map of participating locations, or summarize the key changes in SPSA’s national strategy. I can also provide links to the official Woolworths newsroom and SPSA pages for ongoing updates.[1][3]
Soft plastic packaging drop off recommences at Woolworths stores, including the Illawarra, Southern Highlands and South Coast. From Woolworth’s web site the following stores in these areas should have a collection bin, similar to the one above somewhere near the front of the store.
www.circularplasticsillawarra.orgMore than 700 Woolworths supermarkets across five states are now accepting soft plastics again, marking a major expansion of Australia’s growing soft plastics recovery network.
www.packagingnews.com.auCollection of Soft Plastic - Take two! - The resumption of soft plastic collection at Woolworths stores is being led by the Soft Plastics Taskforce, a collaboration between Woolworths Group, Coles Group, and ALDI. This initiative was established following the collapse of the REDcycle program in late 2022, which previously managed soft plastic recycling across Australian supermarkets. This effort a...
newsletters.naavi.comA soft plastics recycling bin has returned to Woolworths Lane Cove. This marks the expansion of a trial around the country run by the Soft Plastics Taskforce (SPT), which is […]
inthecove.com.auThursday, 7 May 2026: Soft plastics recycling is officially back in more than 700 Woolworths stores across five states, providing Australian families with a convenient way to reduce household waste. The renewed soft plastics recycling scheme was first launched as a trial in five Victorian Woolworths stores in February 2024. Since then, hundreds more locations have rolled out their collection points, with select Woolworths stores in South Australia joining the scheme this week. With this...
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