EcoWatch
Facebook 558k Twitter 222k Instagram 52k Subscribe Subscribe
  • Climate
  • Energy
  • Conservation
  • Food + Agriculture
  • Renewables
  • Oceans
  • Policy
  • Insights + Opinion
  • Go Solar Today
      • Top Companies By State
        • California Solar Companies
        • Texas Solar Companies
        • New York Solar Companies
        • Florida Solar Companies
        • See All States
      • Top Incentives By State
        • California Solar Incentives
        • Texas Solar Incentives
        • New York Solar Incentives
        • Florida Solar Incentives
        • See All States
      • Solar Panel Costs By State
        • Solar Panel Costs in California
        • Solar Panel Costs in Texas
        • Solar Panel Costs in New York
        • Solar Panel Costs in Florida
        • See All States
      • Value of Solar by State
        • Is Solar Worth It In California?
        • Is Solar Worth It in Texas?
        • Is Solar Worth It New York?
        • Is Solar Worth It In Florida?
        • See All States
      • Company Reviews
        • Tesla Solar Review
        • Sunrun Solar Review
        • SunPower Solar Review
        • Vivint Solar Review
        • See All Companies
      • Common Solar Questions
        • Can You Get Free Solar Panels?
        • Does Solar Increase Home Value?
        • What’re The Best Solar Batteries?
        • Can You Finance Solar?
        • Where To Buy Solar Panels?
        • Payback On Solar Panels?
      • Solar Resources
        • Interactive Solar Calculator
        • Federal Solar Tax Credit
        • Best Solar Panels For Most Homes
        • Tesla Solar Roof Review
        • Cheapest Solar Panels
      • Companies Compared
        • SunPower vs Tesla Solar
        • SunRun vs Tesla Solar
        • SunRun vs SunPower
        • SunPower vs Momentum Solar
        • SunPower vs ADT Solar
EcoWatch
  • Climate
  • Energy
  • Conservation
  • Food + Agriculture
  • Renewables
  • Oceans
  • Policy
  • Insights + Opinion
  • Go Solar Today
    • Go Solar Today
    • Top Companies By State
      • California Solar Companies
      • Texas Solar Companies
      • New York Solar Companies
      • Florida Solar Companies
      • See All States
    • Top Incentives By State
      • California Solar Incentives
      • Texas Solar Incentives
      • New York Solar Incentives
      • Florida Solar Incentives
      • See All States
    • Solar Panel Costs By State
      • Solar Panel Costs in California
      • Solar Panel Costs in Texas
      • Solar Panel Costs in New York
      • Solar Panel Costs in Florida
      • See All States
    • Value of Solar by State
      • Is Solar Worth It In California?
      • Is Solar Worth It in Texas?
      • Is Solar Worth It New York?
      • Is Solar Worth It In Florida?
      • See All States
    • Company Reviews
      • Tesla Solar Review
      • Sunrun Solar Review
      • SunPower Solar Review
      • Vivint Solar Review
      • See All Companies
    • Common Solar Questions
      • Can You Get Free Solar Panels?
      • Does Solar Increase Home Value?
      • What’re The Best Solar Batteries?
      • Can You Finance Solar?
      • Where To Buy Solar Panels?
      • Payback On Solar Panels?
    • Solar Resources
      • Interactive Solar Calculator
      • Federal Solar Tax Credit
      • Best Solar Panels For Most Homes
      • Tesla Solar Roof Review
      • Cheapest Solar Panels
    • Companies Compared
      • SunPower vs Tesla Solar
      • SunRun vs Tesla Solar
      • SunRun vs SunPower
      • SunPower vs Momentum Solar
      • SunPower vs ADT Solar

The best of EcoWatch right in your inbox. Sign up for our email newsletter!

    • About EcoWatch
    • Contact EcoWatch
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Learn About Solar Energy
    Facebook 558k Twitter 222k Instagram 52k
    EcoWatch
    • About EcoWatch
    • Contact EcoWatch
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Learn About Solar Energy
    Facebook 558k Twitter 222k Instagram 52k
    Home Business

    Australia Supermarkets Ordered to Dump More Than 5,000 Tons of Plastics Gathered for Recycling

    By: Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
    Published: February 3, 2023
    Edited by Chris McDermott
    Facebook icon Twitter icon Pinterest icon Email icon
    A recycling facility full of plastic waste in New South Wales, Australia
    A recycling facility full of plastic waste in New South Wales, Australia. New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment
    Why you can trust us

    Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

    Facebook icon Twitter icon Pinterest icon Email icon

    Supermarkets Woolworths and Coles have been ordered by the New South Wales (NSW) Environment Protection Authority (EPA) to dispose of more than 5,732 tons of recycled soft plastics currently sitting in more than a dozen warehouses across NSW. The concern is that they’re being dangerously stored since the collapse of recycling organization REDcycle — a recycler of soft plastic, plastic bags and other flexible packaging.

    Following reports that the materials were piling up rather than being taken to be recycled, in November of last year REDcycle announced it would suspend its collection of plastics at Coles and Woolworths, reported The Guardian.

    “These stockpiles are stored from the floor to the ceiling, blocking entryways and preventing adequate ventilation with the soft plastic estimated to fill about three and a half Olympic-sized swimming pools,” said NSW EPA Chief Executive Tony Chappel.

    More From EcoWatch
    • What Are Solar Panels Made Of?
    • Sustainable Home Improvements You Can Make Now
    • How to Lower Your Energy Bill

    Orders to remove the plastics were issued on January 31 by the NSW EPA, The Guardian reported. It is estimated it will cost $3.5 million to clean up the giant piles of plastics.

    The supermarkets have been asked to either reprocess the plastics, export them internationally or bring them to a landfill. It seems a landfill is the only choice since the sheer volume of the plastics stockpile is too much to be reprocessed at home, and other countries aren’t willing to take contaminated soft plastics.

    “Thousands of customers diligently collected soft plastics and dropped them into their local supermarket’s collection bin because they trusted their waste would be diverted from landfill and recycled,” Chappel told The Sydney Morning Herald. “The extent of soft-plastic waste sitting in warehouses across NSW is very concerning, and I know customers will be disappointed.”

    The EPA was so concerned about the safety of 11 of the 15 locations where the plastics are being stored that they contacted Fire and Rescue NSW and have asked the storage operators to act immediately to reduce the risk.

    Woolworths and Coles now have six days to respond to the orders from the EPA.

    “Our largest retailers have an important role to play in how we continue to reduce plastic waste and we are committed to working together so we can support opportunities and minimise risk,” Chappel said, as reported by The Guardian.

    According to REDcycle in a statement last year, the two recycling companies they relied on weren’t able to accept any more plastics, citing “downturns in market demand” and a factory fire.

    “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,” REDcycle said at the time, as The Guardian reported.

    REDcycle expressed its intention to continue its plastics recycling program in the future.

    “REDcycle remains committed to continuing our important work and in reinstating our soft plastics recycling program. We have been in intensive roundtable discussions with our industry stakeholders and funding partners to explore a range of long-term and sustainable solutions following the halting of the program late last year due to supply chain disruptions,” the company said, as reported by The Guardian.

    Subscribe to get exclusive updates in our daily newsletter!

      By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, and to receive electronic communications from EcoWatch Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content.

      Cristen Hemingway Jaynes

      Cristen is a writer of fiction and nonfiction. She holds a JD and an Ocean & Coastal Law Certificate from University of Oregon School of Law and an MA in Creative Writing from Birkbeck, University of London. She is the author of the short story collection The Smallest of Entryways, as well as the travel biography, Ernest’s Way: An International Journey Through Hemingway’s Life.
      Facebook icon Twitter icon Pinterest icon Email icon

      Read More

      New Maps Show Best Places for Global Reforestation: Study
      Researchers have revealed new maps that show the best places
      By Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
      French Polynesia Announces World's Largest Marine Protected Area at UN Ocean Conference
      During the United Nations Ocean Conference this week in Nice,
      By Paige Bennett
      Collapse of AMOC Could Bring ‘Profound Cooling’ to Northern Europe: Study
      The collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)  —
      By Cristen Hemingway Jaynes

      Subscribe to get exclusive updates in our daily newsletter!

        By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, and to receive electronic communications from EcoWatch Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content.

        Latest Articles

        • New Maps Show Best Places for Global Reforestation: Study
          by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
          June 13, 2025
        • French Polynesia Announces World’s Largest Marine Protected Area at UN Ocean Conference
          by Paige Bennett
          June 13, 2025
        • Collapse of AMOC Could Bring ‘Profound Cooling’ to Northern Europe: Study
          by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
          June 12, 2025
        • Trump EPA Announces Major Weakening of Power Plant Emissions Rules
          by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
          June 12, 2025
        • High Levels of Mercury Found in Alligators in Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia
          by Paige Bennett
          June 12, 2025
        • Trump Administration Fires Entire Content Team of Major NOAA Climate Website
          by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
          June 11, 2025
        • Trump Plans to ‘Wean off of FEMA’ After Hurricane Season, Saying States Can ‘Handle It’
          by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
          June 11, 2025
        • U.S. Produced Record Amount of Energy in 2024, EIA Reports
          by Paige Bennett
          June 11, 2025
        EcoWatch

        The best of EcoWatch right in your inbox. Sign up for our email newsletter!

          • Climate Climate
          • Animals Animals
          • Health + Wellness Health + Wellness
          • Insights + Opinion Insights + Opinion
          • Adventure Adventure
          • Oceans Oceans
          • Business Business
          • Solar Solar
          • About EcoWatch
          • Contact EcoWatch
          • EcoWatch Reviews
          • Terms of Use
          • Privacy Policy
          • Learn About Solar Energy
          • Learn About Deregulated Energy
          • EcoWatch UK
          Follow Us
          Facebook 558k
          Twitter 222k
          Instagram 52k
          Subscribe Subscribe

          Experts for a healthier planet and life.

          Mentioned by:
          Learn more
          • Privacy Policy
          • Terms of Use
          • Cookie Preferences
          • Do Not Sell My Information
          © 2025 EcoWatch. All Rights Reserved.

          Advertiser Disclosure

          Our editorial team is committed to creating independent and objective content focused on helping our readers make informed decisions. To help support these efforts we receive compensation from companies that advertise with us.

          The compensation we receive from these companies may impact how and where products appear on this site. This compensation does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides within our content. We do not include all companies, products or offers that may be available.