By Callum Ludwig
Following the temporary pause of the REDcycle program which provided a convenient location to dispose of soft plastics, shoppers have been left with an abundance of harmful waste with nowhere to put it.
The REDcycle program whose collection spots could be found at Coles and Woolworths supermarkets ceased indefinitely on 9 November.
Executive Officer of Yarra Valley ECOSS Chelsea McNab said it is a shame and she hopes that REDcycle can catch up.
“But, it is an indicator that there are too many soft plastics in the system and we all need to work hard to change that,” she said.
“Over the years, soft plastic recycling is something we’ve talked a lot about here because we already knew that REDcycle was experiencing a glut a while ago. It was inevitable that it was going to happen because we’re just flooding the market with too many soft plastics at the moment.”
Yarra Valley ECOSS has previously instigated their own collections of plastics, using plastic bottles filled with soft plastics to build an insulating wall and collecting other plastics like milk bottle tops to create art out of them.
Ms McNab said while it is important to try and tackle the issue ourselves, the onus needs to be put on to companies that are producing soft plastics.
“It wasn’t that long ago that you went to the supermarket and the fruits and vegetables weren’t all wrapped up as they are today. As consumers, we need to pressure these big corporations to reduce the packaging,” she said.
“The packaging drives me away from supermarkets into the local market where you can go and just buy bulk foods, where you can refill your jars and fill your bags. There are heaps of fresh food markets around where you can take your own bags and fill them.”
Some good options for avoiding plastic packaging when shopping locally include shops like Miss Spelts in Healesville and Fill Good Bulk Foods in Wesburn and markets like the Organic Market in Healesville and ECOSS’s own Valley Market in Wesburn.
