Wholly Shrink, maker of The Shrinker, has released findings from a behavioural change survey that suggest providing households with compacting tools can boost participation in soft plastics recycling.
The Shrinker compresses soft plastics by up to 70 per cent volume, and stores them in a compact, lightweight form. In Australia, the tool is made from 100 per cent recycled plastic.
A July 2025 survey of 259 households across Australia, New Zealand and the UK found that 85 per cent of respondents began recycling soft plastics because of using the device. A further 84 per cent said it helped them sustain the habit long term.
The findings also showed 61 per cent of households reduced their landfill waste by more than 20 per cent, with 37 per cent cutting over 40 per cent. In addition, 77 per cent of respondents reported changing their purchasing decisions, choosing recyclable or plastic-free packaging, while 85 per cent said the device prompted conversations about sustainability at home.
The survey was conducted by the company Wholly Shrink, which makes the product ‘The Shrinker’. They emailed all of their 1,000+ subscribers and asked them to complete the survey via an online form. A total of 259 responses were received, representing a 25 per cent response rate.
Wholly Shrink said the results highlight convenience, bulkiness and mess as key barriers to recycling soft plastics at home.
The survey comes two years after the collapse of REDcycle, which left Australia’s soft plastics recycling infrastructure in crisis, although strong moves are underway to rebuild consumer trust and invest in infrastructure.
Wholly Shrink says that despite new supermarket collection pilots and a recycling centre in Adelaide, around 94 per cent of soft plastics are still sent to landfill. Waste management company Cleanaway has also reported that consumer confusion about which materials can be recycled continues to cause contamination and further waste.
