Green Light for Soft Plastics Recycling Scheme

The ACCC has issued a draft authorisation for an industry-led scheme by Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia (SPSA) to collect and recycle soft plastics from consumers. Initial members include Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, Nestle, Mars, and McCormick Foods. Previously, supermarkets processed leftover stockpiles through the Soft Plastics Taskforce and ran collection pilots.

ACCC deputy chair Mick Keogh said the initiative aims to divert soft plastics from landfill by expanding recycling efforts. The ACCC noted environmental benefits outweigh any competitive concerns and proposed an eight-year authorisation with requirements for transparency and no exclusive processor contracts. SPSA’s interim authority allows sharing operational data to facilitate the transition from the taskforce to SPSA.