What is REDcycle – What to REDcycle, Where, Behind the Scenes, ‘reSources’, FAQs & More

Embarrassing but funny story: See I’ve made a commitment about my YouTube channel. Post something by a certain time no matter how bad it is. So in this video you’ll hear me mispronounce Replas. Why? Because dyslexia and the word itself looks like an indian food spelt Theplas. Very delicious and always in the Gujarati picnic/camping menu. I do apologise to Replas but I do think that what they do with recycled plastic is as awesome as Theplas ;oP

what to REDcycle

The REDcycle Program makes it easy for consumers to keep plastic bags and packaging out of landfill.

Do the scrunch test!

Please make sure your plastic is dry and as empty as possible.

YES PLEASE!

Here’s a quick guide to some of the most commonly recycled items:

For the full list of what can be accepted by REDcycle, see below.

NO THANKS!

We cannot accept;

• Plastic bottles
• Plastic containers
• Any rigid plastic such as meat trays, biscuit trays or strawberry punnets
• Glass
• Rubber
• Paper and cardboard
• Tin cans
• Food waste

For a full list of what cannot be accepted by REDcycle, see below.

*If it can’t be accepted by REDcycle, contact your local council to check if it can go in your roadside collection bin.

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how to REDcycle

you collect

• Collect all the soft plastics that you can’t recycle at home.
• Please ensure they are dry and as empty as possible.

you drop

• Drop your soft plastics into your nearest REDcycle collection bin and RED Group will do the rest.
• There are participating supermarkets all around Australia. Find the REDcycle drop off point nearest to you.
• REDcycle bins are typically located near the checkout. There are currently a few different types of REDcycle bins in use depending on the store so please ask at the customer service desk if you can’t locate the bin

we recycle

• The collected plastic is returned to RED Group’s facility for initial processing, then delivered to Victorian manufacturer Replas where it undergoes an incredible transformation. (See the Totally Wild video below)
• Replas uses the material as the resource to produce a huge range of recycled-plastic products, from fitness circuits to sturdy outdoor furniture, bollards, signage and more.

Replas and The Pull Through Effect

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The comprehensive list of what to REDcycle

YES PLEASE!

• Biscuit packets (outer wrapper only)
• Bread bags (without the tie)
• Bubble wrap (large sheets cut into A3 size pieces)
• Cat and dog food pouches (as clean and dry as possible)
• Cellophane from bunches of flowers (cut into A3 size pieces)
• Cereal box liners
• Chip and cracker packets (silver lined)
• Chocolate and snack bar wrappers
• Cling Wrap – free of food residue
• Confectionery bags
• Dry pet food bags
• Fresh produce bags
• Frozen food bags
• Green bags (Polypropylene Bags)
• Ice cream wrappers
• Large sheets of plastic that furniture comes wrapped in (cut into A3 size pieces)
• Netting produce bags (any metal clips removed)
• Newspaper and magazine wrap
• Pasta bags
• Plastic Australia Post satchels
• Plastic carrier bags from all stores
• Plastic film wrap from grocery items such as nappies and toilet paper
• Plastic sachets
• Potting mix and compost bags – both the plastic and woven polypropylene types (cut into A3 size pieces and free of as much product as possible)
• Rice bags – both plastic and the woven type (if large, cut into A3 size pieces)
• Snap lock bags / zip lock bags
• Squeeze pouches with lid on (e.g. yogurt/baby food)
• Wine bladders – clear plastic ones only
• Please make sure your plastic is dry and as empty as possible.

NO THANKS!

• Plastic bottles
• Plastic containers
• Any rigid plastic such as meat trays, biscuit trays or strawberry punnets
• Adhesive tape
• Balloons (of any kind)
• Biodegradable/degradable/compostable plastics
• Blister packs, tablets and capsule packaging
• Blow up pools and pool toys – plastic or PVC
• Bread bag tags
• Christmas tinsel and Christmas trees
• Coffee bags
• Cooler bags
• Disposable food handling gloves of any variety
• Drinking straws
• Film negatives and x-rays
• Foam or polystyrene of any kind
• Foil / Alfoil of any kind
• Food waste
• Glass
• Laminated materials and overhead transparencies
• Medical waste materials
• Paper and cardboard
• Paper post packs
• Plastic/clear vinyl packaging from sheets and doonas etc
• Plastic packaging that has contained meat
• Plastic strapping used for securing boxes and pallets
• Powdered milk packets, made of foil
• Rubber, rubber gloves, latex
• Tarpaulins
• Tin cans
• VHS Tape
• Wet plastic materials as mould is a problem for us
• Wine bladders – foil based
• Wrapping paper and cardboard, ribbons or bows

Please note that the REDcycle Program has been developed for post consumer household plastic. Participating supermarkets are not obliged to accept large volumes of commercial plastic waste.

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Downloads
– What to REDcycle Poster
– REDcycle Program Brochure
– REDcycle Fact Sheet for Schools

Totally Wild take you behind the scenes

How much soft plastic has RED Group collected?
– RED Group recovers and recycles over 3 million pieces of soft plastic (bags and packaging) every week
– RED Group has recovered and recycled over 380 million pieces of soft plastic since 2011
– That’s over 1580 tonnes of soft plastic that will never end up in landfill, on our beaches or in our waterways
– That’s the equivalent to 395 elephants (weighing 4 tonnes each)

Where to REDcycle
You can enter your suburb or postcode to find your nearest drop off point.
Search hint: If your postcode is not found try searching for your suburb by name (e.g. “Sydney” rather than “2000”). There is a separate link for REDcycle in NZ.

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FAQs
Questions about materials
What can be recycled via the REDcycle Program?
Check out What to REDcycle for a comprehensive list of all items that can be recycled via the REDcycle Program.

Can I recycle plastic bags from other retailers via the program?
Absolutely. We accept other stores’ carrier bags and all forms of soft plastic packaging from all brands.

Can I recycle silver-lined chip packets via the program?
Yes, the thin foil-like plastic sleeves and packets that some biscuits, chocolate bars, crackers and chips come in are fine to be recycled via REDcycle.

Can I recycle the plastic tray from my biscuit packet via the program?
No, when it comes to biscuit packaging, it’s only the soft plastic wrapper that we can accept for recycling. The biscuit trays are classified as rigid plastic and should be disposed of in your council’s kerbside collection. As this varies between councils, please check with your council.

Can I recycle bubble wrap via the program?
Sure, we love bubble wrap. If you have large pieces of bubble wrap, please cut them into A3 size. Large sheets are too bulky to be placed in the bins.

Can I recycle coffee packets via the program?
No. Coffee bags are typically plastic-lined foil bags (ie majority foil) and therefore are contaminant.

Can I recycle the degradable, bio degradable or compostable bags via the program?
No, we can’t accept degradable, compostable or bio degradable bags. Bags that are labelled degradable or compostable have been specifically manufactured to break down in the general waste stream. We can’t use them for recycling because they start to degrade before they’re processed.

If I want to recycle my old polypropylene bags, do I need to remove the rigid plastic base first?
No, you can leave the rigid plastic base inside as it’s made of high-density polyethylene which is also fully recyclable via the program.

Preparing to drop off your soft plastics
Do I need to wash out my plastic packaging before recycling it?
No. Packaging materials should be ‘empty and dry’ but our recycling processes can tolerate a limited amount of contamination (such as a few crumbs or a bit of dried gravy). Please ensure your plastics are dry as wet plastic creates a mould problem for us.

Do I need to deposit my plastic bags and packaging loose in the bin when I drop them off?
No, it’s fine to bundle up all your unwanted shopping bags and packaging in a bag before placing in a REDcycle drop off bin. We don’t need them to be placed in our bins loose – like your council’s kerbside recycling needs to be.

Do I need to peel off small paper labels before I place my cling wrap or courier satchel in the drop-off bin?
Not if it’s only a small paper label. A little paper doesn’t affect the recycling processes at all. If the label is bigger than A5 size, please do peel or cut it off.

Do I need to cut off the rigid plastic spout and lid from my squeeze pouch before I place it in the drop-off bin?
No, there’s no need to cut these off. Please recycle with the lids on to prevent any residual yoghurt or baby food squirting out!

Where’s my nearest REDcycle drop-off point?
Check out Where to REDcycle to find the drop-off point nearest to you.

What do the REDcycle bins look like?
There are a few different types of REDcycle bins. REDcycle drop off bins are typically located near the checkout. If you have trouble finding it, please ask the supermarket’s customer service desk.

Questions about drop-off points and participating businesses
I can’t find the REDcycle bin
In most stores the bin is located at the front of the store, typically near the customer service desk.

Unfortunately, sometimes stores do have to remove bins from time to time. This can be for a number of reasons such as cleaning the bins or due to contamination issues. Sadly not all customers use the bins for the intended purpose. Stores can often overcome this by putting the bins in less obvious locations but this is not always an option in all stores. Contamination is a serious issue for us.

Even if a store has removed their bin, if they are a participating store (check the store locator) bags can be handed to staff at the customer service desks for recycling.

We are currently launching new bins which hopefully will assist with this issue.

What if the REDcycle bin is full?
It is great to see so many people using the bins! Sometimes the REDcycle bins are full.

The bins are emptied by supermarket staff and taken back of house where they are picked up by our trucks each week. Sometimes supermarket staff are so busy with customers they are unable to empty the REDcycle bin as often as needed.

Even if the bins are full, you can still recycle your plastic. Just hand your bags to the staff at the customer service desk and they will add your plastic to those bags awaiting collection.

We are currently launching new larger bins which will assist with this issue.

Why isn’t the program available in my area?
Although we receive requests daily from REDcycle enthusiasts, we are measured in our approach to expansion to ensure the program can continue to thrive. While we might appear to be slow to respond to your request for a collection point in your area, you can be confident that we are working on it behind the scenes.

Can my business join the program as a collection point?
At present, the RED Group is not set up to offer collection services to businesses or other organisations due to logistical reasons. We encourage everyone to utilise our existing network. When the REDcycle Program was developed, we wanted to make it as easy as possible for all consumers to participate. We’re currently partnering with selected Coles and Woolworths supermarkets. With the majority of Australians concentrated in capital cities where they have easy access to a local supermarket – a place most people already visit at least once a week – it made sense to focus our energies on this collection method.

Can we have a REDcycle drop-off bin at our school?
At present, the RED Group is not set up to offer collection services to schools, day care centres or other businesses due to logistical reasons. We encourage everyone to utilise our existing network.

Please see Schools and the REDcycle Program for information on running a soft plastic recycling scheme at your school.

Questions about the program
How can I be sure my soft plastics are being recycled and not ending up in landfill?
– Ensure that your materials are being dropped off at a participating REDcycle location (use the store locator to check – http://www.redcycle.net.au/where-to-redcycle/)
– Visit http://www.redcycle.net.au/what-to-redcycle/ to see what can and can’t be recycled via a REDcycle bin
– Avoid ‘contamination’
There is no need to wash materials – ensure your plastics are dry as wet plastic creates a mould problem for us
Materials should be ‘empty and dry’ (a limited amount of contamination such as a few crumbs or a bit of dried gravy is ok)
A small paper label on bags is ok. If the label is bigger than A5 size, then please peel or cut it off.
Yoghurt pouches – please recycle with the lids on to prevent any residual yoghurt or baby food squirting out!
We can’t accept degradable, compostable or bio degradable bags. Bags that are labelled degradable or compostable have been specifically manufactured to break down in the general waste stream. We can’t use them for recycling because they start to degrade before they’re processed.
Thanks for helping us to keep contamination out of REDcycle bins!

Where does the collected soft plastic end up?
We bring the collected plastic back to our facility for initial processing, then it is delivered to Australian manufacturer Replas where it undergoes an incredible transformation.

Replas uses the material as the resource to produce a huge range of recycled-plastic products, from fitness circuits to sturdy outdoor furniture, to bollards, signage and more. All products are extremely robust, as well as water and termite resistant. They won’t crack, splinter or rot and will never need painting. Replas products are perfect for use in schools, park, public spaces and commercial premises.

How much soft plastic has the REDcycle Program collected since it launched?
– RED Group has collected enough pieces of soft post-consumer packaging to circle Australia over three and a half times*.
– That’s over 380 million pieces of plastic that’ll never end up in landfill, on our beaches or in our waterways.
– With a total weight of over 1525 tonnes, that’s equivalent to 381 elephants (weighing 4 tonnes each).
*(Assuming an average size of 25cm per item, we’ve collected approximately 95 million metres of plastic packaging laid end to end. The coastline of Australia is 25,760,000 metres.)

Are any toxic fumes created during the recycling process?
No, there are no harmful fumes produced at all. That’s because our manufacturing partner Replas uses only polyolefin polymers (plastics 2, 4 & 5) in the manufacturing process.
Polyolefin polymers are non-aromatic and non-carcinogenic, and don’t contain the nasty chemicals that some polymers, such as PVC, contain. When they are heated or burnt, the fumes are quite safe to breathe.

Why can’t I put my plastic bags and packaging in my kerbside recycling bin?
The majority of councils can’t accept soft plastic for recycling via their kerbside collection because soft plastic jams the automated sorting machines at the Materials Recovery Facility.

How can I purchase recycled plastic products?
Recycled plastic furniture from Replas can be purchased at any time. View the vast product range at www.replas.com.au.