Merri-bek City Council was saddened to hear of the suspension of the REDcycle program, which we understand was widely used within the community, especially at supermarkets.
The scheme was a voluntary product stewardship scheme for the collection of soft plastic packaging.
Need for mandatory scheme
The closure of the program is a clear indication that we need a mandatory scheme for this packaging material to ensure that all brands are taking responsibility for the packaging they produce and are investing in the infrastructure needed to collect, recycle and reuse the material.
More work also needs to be done by manufacturers and retailers to eliminate unnecessary packaging and to enable consumers to avoid all waste types through systems that rely on reusable rather than single use packaging.
Until a new scheme is up and running, please dispose of your soft plastics in your general rubbish bin.
Tips to avoid soft plastics
Here are some tips for how you can avoid soft plastics and other packaging when you go shopping and at home:
- Buy fresh unpackaged produce – or grow your own herbs and vegetables
- Remember to take your own shopping bags
- Opt for stores where you can bring your own containers
- Cover food using bees-wax wraps instead of plastic film
- Make your own snacks and wrap them with reusable wraps
- Cook at home or eat out instead of getting take-away
- Make a list before you go shopping to avoid unnecessary purchases
- Choose products with recyclable packaging AND
- Buy 100% recycled products where available such as toilet paper, paper towel and alfoil.
More information
More information on reducing packaging and shopping sustainably can be found on the Sustainability Victoria website – Reduce packaging | Sustainability Victoria
