Soft plastics recycling dilemma in NSW

Source: https://www.scrapmonster.com/news/us-plastic-bottle-recycling-continues-to-rise/1/7069

The council of Hornsby Shire in New South Wales have recently begun facing struggles due to the increasing demand of its soft plastics recycling service. To combat this, they have introduced a rule whereby residents are required to provide proof that they reside in the area in order to access the recycling services. They have also introduced a quantity limit of one normal shopping bag full of plastics (40cm x 40cm bag).

Since 2022, the amount of soft plastics dropped off has doubled, the council estimates between 50-280 tons of soft plastic will be accepted over the following 12 months. Residents from outside of the Hornsby Shire area will no longer be able to drop off their soft plastics, hard plastics, and Styrofoam at the Thornleigh CRC.

Both state and federal levels of government have plastics action plans within the recycling services to allow for the processing and remanufacturing of our soft plastics for beneficial products to be used in our economy. It is critical that these plans continue to be implemented and funded to ensure that we meet the community demand for the recycling of soft plastics.
These new rules came into effect as of 8:30am on Friday, 27 January 2023.

For more information on the new rules and regulations, click this link:
Community Recycling Centre | Hornsby Shire Council (nsw.gov.au)