Woolworths has confirmed the return of in-store soft plastics collection points across more than 700 supermarkets nationally, with South Australia the latest state to join the renewed recycling scheme this week.
The retailer says around 40 million pieces of soft plastic packaging – equivalent to 310 tonnes – have already been collected and processed through the program since pilot trials began in five Victorian stores in February 2024.
The expansion represents one of the largest retail-led soft plastics recovery initiatives currently operating in Australia and comes as industry works towards a nationally coordinated stewardship model under Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia (SPSA).
According to Woolworths, the collected material is being recycled locally into products including in-store wall panelling and Woolworths own-brand bread bags containing 30 per cent recycled plastic content.
The supermarket chain is partnering with Australian recycling businesses saveBOARD, iQRenew and Plascrete to deliver the program.
Woolworths 360 managing director Rob McCartney said customer demand for soft plastics recycling had remained strong throughout the suspension of previous collection schemes.
Image: Woolworths
“Our customers have continued to advocate for soft plastic recycling and we’re thrilled to be able to give them the ability to recycle these materials again,” McCartney said.
“We are proud to partner with innovative recyclers such as iQRenew which has opened a new facility in NSW that has the capacity to process 14,000 tonnes per year of soft plastics, while saveBOARD is transforming soft plastic waste into building materials that we are already using in 170 stores.
“With this renewed scheme, we’re working closely with Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia [SPSA] to lead the industry on soft plastics recycling.”
The announcement also highlights Woolworths’ involvement in establishing SPSA, alongside major brand owners and retailers including Mars, Nestlé and McCormick Foods.
SPSA CEO Barry Cosier described the rollout as an important foundation for scaling a national recovery network.
“We appreciate the leadership by Woolworths in establishing this collection network. This is just the start as we want to collect and recycle more soft plastic packaging,” Cosier said.
“This industry-led initiative has ensured that supermarket in-store collections currently provide convenient access to soft plastics recycling for almost 70 per cent of Australians.
“As more brands and retailers join SPSA, we can increase collections in more stores, in more retailers and in more locations, boosting participation rates far beyond current levels.”
The retailer says participating stores are now operating across Victoria, NSW, South Australia and other selected regions, with a full list available on the Woolworths website.
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Ed’s note: The return of large-scale supermarket collection points signals growing confidence that the soft plastics industry is moving beyond the crisis triggered by REDcycle’s collapse and into a more structured, accountable phase. The sector is beginning to rebuild not only collection systems, but also domestic processing capability and some end markets for recovered material.
For packaging stakeholders, the focus now shifts to scale, consistency and long-term viability – particularly as SPSA works towards a national stewardship framework designed to support broader retailer and brand participation. The challenge ahead will be ensuring collection growth is matched by sufficient Australian recycling infrastructure and strong demand pull for recycled soft plastic content.
