A series of collection drop-off days was held across the Illawarra in partnership with Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama Councils and Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation (ISJO) from November 2024 – February 2025.
It was a resounding success, underscoring the Illawarra Shoalhaven community's commitment to sustainable waste management.
The pilot aimed to assess the feasibility and impact of organised soft plastics collection events across the region.
Total participation: The pilot project witnessed strong community participation, with a total of 1,366 attendees across all events. This high level of participation highlights the community's keen interest in responsibly managing soft plastic waste.
Total weight collected: The collection events successfully amassed 2,400 kilograms of soft plastics. This substantial figure demonstrates the effectiveness of these drop-off initiatives in diverting waste from landfills and promoting recycling.
At Kiama Council's Waste and Recycling Facility, we saw 193 attendees with a total of 856kg of soft plastics collected.
ISJO determined that all material collected will be sent to Close the Loop via their partner organisation based in Minto, NSW.
The materials will be extruded and shredded then aggregated with other materials for shipment to Close the Loop, in a dense form.
Close the Loop, located in Reservoir, Victoria, has over 20 years of experience developing solutions for complex waste streams like soft plastics.
Their innovative product, TonerPlas, is an asphalt additive made from recycled waste toner and soft plastics.
It enhances road performance and longevity while being 100% recyclable as Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement.
Data collected from the trial will be presented to all participating Councils including the Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation board to determine if a permanent soft plastics collection will be established for the region.
In the meantime, a Soft Plastics Taskforce established with major supermarkets Coles, Woolworths and ALDI is conducting a pilot in-store collection program with select stores in Victoria and NSW.
A proposal to extend this program until 31 July 2026 has been sought with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
