SOFT PLASTICS AND RESOURCE RECOVERY

LISA KORYCKI 2 days ago

Hornsby Shire Council has introduced proof of residence and quantity limits for people using the Community Recycling Centre (CRC) as it struggles to cope with increased demand of its soft plastics recycling services following the suspension of REDcycle.

Residents need to show they reside in the Local Government Area (LGA)  in order to recycle soft plastics, hard plastics and Styrofoam. Quantity limits for residents of one normal shopping bag full of soft plastics (40cmx40cm bag) per week have also been introduced.

Hornsby council’s CRC has a viable soft plastics recycling service, however the amount of soft plastics dropped off has more than doubled since REDCycle suspended its service from supermarkets in November 2022. Based on the increasing trend, the council estimates the CRC facility will accept about 50-80 tonnes of soft plastic material over the next 12 months.

The council has a partnership with Plasmar, a plastics recycling specialist, which sorts soft plastics, pelletises them and then makes a broad range of products including posts, boards, sleepers, bollards, wheel stops and other construction materials. It said Plasmar’s Sydney factory has a limited capacity to accept soft plastics generated by the community and, with the rapidly increasing demand on its services, has capped the quantities being accepted.

“Restricting our reception of soft and hard plastics and Styrofoam to residents of Hornsby Shire is the first lever we have to pull in an effort to ensure that our recycling processes are not overwhelmed,” said Hornsby Shire Council’s Manager, Waste Management.

Residents from outside Hornsby Shire will no longer be able to drop off their soft plastics, hard plastics and Styrofoam at the Thornleigh CRC.

Council’s Mayor, Philip Ruddock has called on both the state and federal governments to do more to urgently address the soft plastics crisis.

“Both state and federal levels of government have Plastics Action Plans and it is critical that further funds are invested in recycling services that allow the sorting, processing and remanufacturing of our soft plastics into beneficial products that can be used in our circular economy,” Ruddock said.

“It is time that government looks to regulate the packaging industry and to heavily invest in the necessary remanufacturing facilities that can turn our waste into useful resources”.

Ruddock said that following on from the Global Recycling Crisis caused when China and other countries ceased accepting plastics from western countries, it is critical that onshore recycling and remanufacturing capacity is developed to ensure Australia’s waste does not need to be exported again.

“If our recycling systems are going to meet community demand, state and federal governments must invest in the rapid expansion of soft and hard plastics sorting and remanufacturing facilities such as Plasmar.”

The new rules came into effect as of 8.30am on Friday, 27 January 2023. CRC facility staff will accept either a Hornsby Shire Council issued rates notice or driver’s license proving residence in Hornsby Shire.

For more information, visit: hornsby.nsw.gov.au/crc