Encouraging soft plastic recycling 2020

Encouraging soft plastic recycling 2020

We’re been backing recycling in schools with our support for the 2017 and 2018 Tread Lightly Caravan’s Soft Plastics Recycling Programme. The programme has worked with selected schools in the Auckland region.

Purex Toilet Paper – White 6 Mega Long rolls

Each school received a large soft plastics recycling bin, like the ones you can already find at supermarkets. Smaller bins were provided for each of the classrooms, along with posters and flyers to help students and teachers sort the soft plastics correctly.

As Katie Jones from the Tread Lightly Caravan previously explained, “Soft plastic bags are not currently collected for recycling by councils because they can contaminate the recycling process. There is a huge demand from schools to be part of the soft plastics recycling programme, so it’s been really exciting to be able to offer this opportunity to Auckland schools.”

Historically, soft plastics collected across New Zealand were sent to Australia where they were made into park benches and fitness circuits for playgrounds. Today there are two onshore plants for the processing of post-consumer soft plastics; Future Post in Waiuku and Second Life Plastics in Levin.

Soft plastic collections re-started in Auckland during May 2019 and since 9th September 2019, shoppers in and around Hamilton have been able to drop off their soft plastic packaging at nine selected Countdown and The Warehouse stores. From October, collections will re-commence at selected Countdown and The Warehouse stores in the Wellington and Hutt Valley region. We encourage you and your family to collect and recycle soft plastics if there are recycling bins available in your area. https://www.recycling.kiwi.nz/solutions/soft-plastics/store-locator/

Love NZ bins accept the following soft plastics for recycling (please ensure packaging is ‘empty, clean and dry’):

  • Plastic packaging around toilet paper, kitchen towels, nappies & sanitary products
  • Bread, pasta & rice bags
  • Fresh produce bags and Netting citrus bags
  • Frozen food bags (frozen vegetable, fries, burgers, nuggets, poultry etc.)
  • Dairy wrappers
  • Courier packs
  • Newspaper wrap
  • Chocolate & muesli bar wrappers and Biscuit packets (wrapper only)
  • Confectionery wrap; chip packets with light foil
  • Cereal box liners
  • Bubble wrap and large sheets of plastic that furniture comes wrapped in (cut into pieces the size of an A3 sheet of paper first)

 

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Purex, a brand of Essity - a global, leading hygiene and health company. Everyday, our products, solutions and services are used by a billion people around the world. Our purpose is to break barriers to well-being for the benefit of consumers, patients, caregivers, customers and society. Sales are conducted in approximately 150 countries under the leading global brands TENA and Tork, and other strong brands such as Actimove, Cutimed, JOBST, Knix, Leukoplast, Libero, Libresse, Lotus, Modibodi, Nosotras, Saba, Tempo, TOM Organic and Zewa. In 2023, Essity had net sales of approximately SEK 147bn (EUR 13bn) and employed 36,000 people. The company's headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden and Essity is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. More information at essity.com.