Following the overwhelming success of previous events, Shellharbour City Council is once again inviting the community to take part in its popular Soft Plastics Recycling Drop-Off Day on Sunday 14 September 2025.
The initiative is returning due to strong local demand and growing interest in sustainable waste solutions. Residents are encouraged to start collecting their soft plastics now and bring them along on the day.
Caption: Mayor Chris Homer at the Soft Plastic Recycling Drop-Off. Image courtesy of Shellharbour City Council.
Shellharbour City Mayor Chris Homer said the return of the event reflects the community's shared commitment to protecting the local environment.
"We've listened to our locals, and it's clear there's strong support for bringing this back," Mayor Homer said.
"This is about doing the right thing for our environment and making it easy for everyone in our community to get involved. It's a simple way we can all help protect what makes Shellharbour special."
The event will be coordinated by staff and volunteers from the Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation (ISJO), who are supporting soft plastics recycling efforts across the region.
Residents can drop off clean, dry, and empty soft plastics in a large plastic bag for easy handling. Accepted items include:
- Plastic bags (clear and coloured)
- Biscuit and snack wrappers
- Chip packets and silver-lined snack wrappers
- Fresh and frozen food wrappers/bags
- Pasta, bread, and rice bags (plastic and woven types)
- Cling wrap, bubble wrap, and snap lock zip bags
- Document sleeves, mail satchels, and carrier bags
- Cereal liners and plastic pet food bags
Soft plastics make up around 7% of red-lid bin contents by mass, but due to their low density, they take up much more space in landfill.
The free drop-off event will be held at:
- Albion Oval Car Park, Ash Avenue, Albion Park Rail
- Sunday 14 September 2025, 8am-12pm
The last two drop-off events were a big success. In November 2024, 57 people dropped off 117 kilograms of soft plastics. In February 2025, 242 people brought in 613 kilograms. Together, that's enough to fill over 100 large wheelie bins.
The collected soft plastics will be baled and transported to a Soft Plastics Engineered Commodity (SPEC) Facility run by IQ Renew. There, the plastics are processed into pellets that can be used to manufacture new products such as:
- Bags
- FOGO caddies
- Buckets
- Fence posts
Council plans to continue offering soft plastic recycling options for residents. These drop-off events are part of a trial supported by Soft Plastic Stewardship Australia (SPSA), who have shown strong interest in expanding recycling opportunities in local communities.
