Are you trying to quit soft plastics? Soft plastics are plastic which can be "scrunched up" and don't spring back into shape such as shopping bags, plastic food packaging and fruit netting.
Soft plastics cannot be recycled in your household recycling bin, and will get stuck in the recycling conveyor belt! All soft plastics put into recycling bins have to be pulled out and end up in landfill.
Do your share to help protect our environment by reducing your reliance on soft plastics with these easy tips.
- Doing grocery shopping? Purchase your produce loose or use re-useable produce bags.
- Shop at a bulk food store and take your own containers.
- If you're buying from the deli counter, butcher, seafood shop or a bulk food store, take along a clean glass container and get them to fill that instead of using plastic packaging.
- Keep a stash of reusable bags in the back of your car or a small foldable one in your handbag, backpack or pocket. If you forget your reusable bag opt for the paper bag option or ask for a cardboard box, if available.
- If you use a small foldable umbrella, use the reusable cloth cover to contain the damp umbrella to prevent slips and falls instead of taking a plastic rain bag at the shopping mall entrance.
We get it. It's hard to cut out soft plastics entirely and sometimes plastic packaging just end up in your possession. You can take clean soft plastics such as biscuit packets and dry pet food bags to the Thornleigh Community Recycling Centre (CRC) or place them in your red-lidded garbage bin.
Please note that the CRC in Artarmon does not accept soft plastics.
