EPA Australia finds warehouses chock-full of soft plastics

Investigators from Victoria’s Environment Protection Authority have found six Melbourne warehouses full of soft plastics after a recycler stopped operations and warn there could be more.

EPA said about 3000 tonnes of soft plastics have been found across the six sites after REDcycle suspended its recycling program a month ago.

A notice issued to the scheme’s operators led investigators to the warehouses, managed by logistics companies in Melbourne’s western and northern suburbs.

“The soft plastics found in the Melbourne warehouses are thought to have come from outside of Victoria … it is believed that additional sites could exist across Victoria and the country,” the EPA said.

Officers are inspecting the sites and working to manage fire risks.

“Although the operators of REDcycle did tell us about some of the sites, intelligence from logistics companies and others is assisting EPA’s investigations,” the authority’s CEO Lee Miezis said.

“If you have any of these soft plastic wastes at your warehouse, we need to know.”

AAP is seeking comment from REDcycle.

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In early November, the company blamed unforeseen circumstances for its decision to suspend its soft plastics recycling scheme, which involved collecting waste from Coles and Woolworths stores.

The statement came after it was revealed millions of plastic bags are being stored in warehouses instead of being recycled, posing environmental and safety risks.

“Consumer recycling of soft plastic has grown exponentially in recent years, with a 350 per cent increase in plastic returned since 2019,” a REDcycle spokeswoman said.

“However, due to several unforeseen challenges exacerbated by the pandemic, REDcycle’s recycling partners have temporarily stopped accepting and processing soft plastics. This combination has put untenable pressure on the REDcycle business model,” she said.

REDcycle provides the only consumer-facing soft plastic recycling for the majority of Australian households.

With news from AAP.