Coles and Woolworths are ordered to dispose of 5,200 tons of soft plastic after REDcycle fails

Coles and Woolworths were ordered to dispose of 5,200 tonnes of soft plastics after it was discovered their recycling program was clandestinely storing the waste in warehouses.

The NSW Environmental Protection Agency issued the order to supermarkets after discovering REDcycle was stocking soft plastics in 15 warehouses and depots across the state, rather than recycling them as intended.

REDcycle had donation bins in thousands of Coles and Woolworths stores across Australia and ceased its recycling activities a few months ago but continued to collect soft plastics.

The recycling program said it collected up to five million pieces of plastic a day from supermarkets and other partners, including Australia Post.

The mission to send the plastics to landfill is expected to cost supermarkets $3 million.

The EPA and Fire Rescue NSW are now concerned about potential fire hazards from the dumps.

One of Australia’s largest recycling programs, working with Coles and Woolworths, secretly stored thousands of tonnes of soft plastics in warehouses (pictured a REDcycle bin at Coles).

“These supplies are stored from floor to ceiling, blocking entrances and preventing adequate ventilation with the soft plastic estimated to fill about three and a half Olympic-size swimming pools,” said Tony Chappel, chief executive of the NSW EPA.

The recycling program has stockpiled more than 12,000 tonnes of soft plastics at sites in NSW, Victoria and South Australia.

Mr Chappel said the level of waste at the camps was “very worrying”.

“Thousands of customers have been diligently collecting soft plastics and tossing them in their local supermarket’s collection bin, trusting their waste will not end up in landfill and be recycled,” he said.

“In the transition to a circular and net-zero economy, supermarkets have a responsibility to customers and the environment to address plastic packaging and take positive action that contributes to solutions rather than problems.”

There’s more to come

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk