Woolworths Expands Soft Plastics Scheme to over 700 Stores

Woolworths Group has collected more than 50 million pieces of soft plastics across Australia since February 2024. The retailer has expanded its in-store recycling network to more than 700 supermarket locations.

Domestic recycling processors received the recovered packaging, diverting approximately 415,000 kilograms of material from landfill.

Scaling the supermarket drop-off network

The program started as a five-store trial. It has since expanded across the grocer’s national store network. Shoppers drop flexible plastic wrapping, bags and food pouches into designated collection points inside participating outlets.

Woolworths runs the scheme through Soft Plastic Stewardship Australia. The company works alongside rival supermarket chains and major packaged goods manufacturers to manage collection logistics and downstream processing contracts.

Managing packaging waste after REDcycle

This initiative replaces REDcycle, Australia’s previous national soft plastic collection framework. REDcycle collapsed in late 2022 after stockpiling thousands of tonnes of material. Instead of warehousing inventory, the current model distributes processing loads across verified Australian recyclers capable of handling mixed polymers.

Consumer goods manufacturers can use the network to meet emerging packaging mandates without building independent collection channels. Diverting 415,000 kilograms proves operating viability, though processing capacity in Australia remains tight for heavily contaminated household films.

Shifting commercial responsibility to brand owners

Retailers and brand owners fund the stewardship model directly, sparing municipal waste collectors the operational expense. Supermarkets gain foot traffic from collection bins while managing the front-end sorting burden at store level.

Downstream remanufacturing demand remains the main operational risk. Recyclers must turn recovered flexible films into commercially viable industrial products, asphalt additives or packaging materials to keep collection points open.

Next steps for national collection targets

Jasmine Medwell, head of sustainable impact at Woolworths Group, oversees the rollout as the consortium evaluates store collection volumes and recycling throughput. Participating operators are monitoring regional processing capacity before extending collection points into remaining regional stores.