Tuesday 13 May 2014

Recycling Soft Plastic

The other day I watched this documentary which is very American but it got me thinking about what happens to our plastic bags here.

I have been looking at our rubbish bin lately and thinking about how we can reduce what we throw out each week.  Not that we throw out a lot.  We usually have only 2 bags of rubbish in our bin each week but I think that we could be doing more.

One of the things that I have noticed often appears in our bin are different types of soft plastic.  Until just recently I was under the impression that these could not be recycled.
I was wrong!!

The following types of plastic can be recycled:
Plastic Shopping Bags
Pasta and Rice Bags
Lolly and Biscuit Packets
Fresh Fruit and Vegie Bags
Frozen Food Bags
Magazine and Newspaper Wrapping
Clean Plastic Wrap/Film
Old Green Bags
Bread Bags
Cereal Bags (personally I save these as they protect food from freezer burn and are great for keeping lettuce fresh)

Many Coles stores have a special bin where you can take all these types of plastics to be recycled.  To fine your nearest Coles store that offers this service click here.

And check out what they do with it:

st
Image from here where you can learn more about the company
 who make new products from our waste plastic.
I feel like I must have been living under a rock to have not know about this but I am so glad I do now.  We are about 45 km from our nearest drop off point but I will be making a point of taking our plastic when ever I go there.

Did you know this service existed?
Do you drop off your bags?

Below are some other links that relate to the subject that you might like to check out.

Recycling Near You
SITA's Recycling Tips
Clean Up Australia
Coles - Dealing with Waste
Planet Ark


7 comments:

  1. I've been under that rock too, thanks for letting us know this.

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    1. Happy to share Barb and glad to hear I was not the only one in the know.

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  2. Gosh its getting crowded under that rock. I didnt know either and i can tell you that you have just halved my bin contents as well. Good Job Fiona! Im often criticized (or given little digs) by my Bestie (who doesn't read my blog because she tells me that if i have something to say i can say it in person) that it is just a bragging board and im just after tickets for myself but its just not so. We share our stories, we educate each other, we provide companionship, and for me, its like a sisterhood but with Gav included (LOL). So thank you Fiona, for including me in your blog world.

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    1. You are right Lynda is not just about bragging it is about sharing and learning from our mistakes and sharing that too so other can have an easier go of it. None of us are perfect and we all have something to offer. Yes we like to share the good things but most of the blogs I read are just everyday people getting on with it and sharing the out come. I agree about the sisterhood and for me it helps me stay connected with like minded people because the rest of the time I am that weirdo country bumpkin who does strange things and rejects what a lot of people consider the norm.

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    2. Hi. Yes I learnt of this a few months back after watching the film Trash. I now drop all my soft plastic off to Coles. And I agree with you and Lynda. It's blogs like yours that keep me going and keep me blogging.

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  3. I found out a few months back too, but the Coles around here don't have the service - the closest is two hours drive away :(. I emailed to ask them to supply a closer service, but got nowhere. We'll have to live vicariously on this one I'm afraid, and just keep trying to reduce the soft plastics that we buy.

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  4. Thanks for the detailed information of plastics. I also have heard that they have laid plastic roads too!

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