No images? Click here
| February 2023 |
Welcome to the AFGC newsletter for the National Plastics Recycling Scheme (NPRS) project, the soft plastic packaging recycling scheme developed and led by Australia’s food and grocery manufacturing industry.
This edition includes information on a new opportunity for councils, Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) and plastics processors to get involved in the next phase of creating a comprehensive soft plastics recycling scheme in Australia. There are also updates on the REDcycle return-to-store scheme and the NPRS kerbside collection trials in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
New NPRS partners sought
Councils and soft plastics processors are invited to register their interest in participating in the next, larger phase of the NPRS project as we prepare for Phase 2 of the scheme collection trials. With the Phase 1 trials nearing their reporting date, the AFGC is inviting more councils and MRFs to express their interest in participating in additional trials during the pre-commercialisation phase of the scheme. This phase, running in 2023-24-25, will be critical in developing and standardising operations for the launch of the NPRS nationally.
Two EOI documents are available on the Useful Links section of the NPRS webpage. For processors, the EOI process seeks to find materials processors and match them to the supply of collected soft plastic feedstock from Councils and MRFs. For councils and MRFs, expressions of interest are sought from those interested in discussing and potentially commencing soft plastics collection trials in their municipality in either 2023 or 2024 as part of the scheme.
Expressions of interest will be accepted from Friday 3 February to COB Friday 17 March 2023.
- Information webinar for interested councils and MRFs: 20 February from 2-3pm AEDT
- Information webinar for interested processors: 20 February from 3.30-4.30pm AEDT
[ Latest developments ]
Bags rolling in from kerbside collection trials
The trials of kerbside soft plastic packaging collection in Victoria and South Australia have now been running for up to three months and early signs are that they are enjoying strong community support. Macedon Ranges Shire Council in Victoria had collected more than 2,400 bags of soft plastics at the three-month mark and we will have updates from other participating councils in future newsletters.
The AFGC worked with the participating councils – Macedon Ranges, Albury and Wodonga Councils, City of Adelaide, City of Charles Sturt, City of Port Adelaide Enfield, and the Central Adelaide Waste and Recycling Authority – to develop a survey of residents taking part in the trials. The online survey, launched in early February and continuing until the end of March, will gather important data, including about how households are engaging with kerbside recycling as well as the performance of bags, to feed into evaluation of the trials.
RedCycle latest – retailers tasked with plastics stockpile cleanup
THE NSW Environment Protection Authority has tasked Coles and Woolworths to remove an estimated 5,200 tonnes of soft plastics collected through the REDcycle scheme from NSW warehouses where the material is currently stockpiled.
In a statement on February 3, NSW EPA CEO Tony Chappel said the volume of plastics and the manner in which it is stored in 15 warehouses around the state posed a fire hazard. Mr Chappel said the retailers were responsible for disposal of the stockpile because of their role promoting the REDcycle scheme to customers.
“As we transition to a circular and net zero economy, supermarkets have a responsibility to customers and the environment to address plastic packaging and take positive actions that contribute to solutions rather than the problem,” he said.
The situation has resulted in the NSW Greens calling for the NSW Government to direct Waste Levy funds towards supporting soft plastics recycling schemes.
The AFGC, as the peak industry body for Australia’s food and grocery manufacturers, has been invited, along with REDcycle, to a meeting of the Supermarket Soft Plastics Taskforce to “urgently discuss potential industry solutions to this issue”.
The AFGC will keep members informed of developments.
Soft plastics recycling in the news
APR Plastics is a proud partner of the NPRS project, accepting the material collected in the South Australian and Victorian trials for processing into oil at its pyrolysis plant in Dandenong, Victoria. APR Group Managing Director Darren Thorpe spoke to ABC Radio Melbourne in December about the potential for soft plastics recycling and APR’s work with the NPRS.
New resources on the AFGC NPRS website
The AFGC’s dedicated NPRS webpage now features new resources for trial partners. An image gallery, social media tile and media release catalogue have been created and will be progressively expanded to provide a bank of materials for NPRS partner organisations to use when promoting their involvement in this important venture.
As always there are links and more information about our NPRS Foundation Supporters and processing partners. If you would like any more information on any NPRS-related issue please send an email with your request to nprs@afgc.org.au.
Get involved...
For more information about the NPRS project, webinars or to get involved in the scheme development visit the AFGC NPRS project page or email us via nprs@afgc.org.au.
– With thanks to our foundation supporters –
– A F G C P A R T N E R S –
