Soft plastics

Fruit and vegetables wrapped in plastic and placed in a white plastic shopping bag

Soft plastics are flexible plastics that can be easily scrunched into a ball, such as:

  • Bread bags
  • Frozen food bags
  • Biscuit and snack wrappers
  • Rice and pasta bags
  • Shopping bags
  • Bubble wrap
  • Plastic produce bags
  • Cereal box liners
  • Pet food bags

Soft plastics are not accepted in your yellow-lid recycling bin. They can contaminate other recyclable materials, making them harder to recover and recycle.

You can free up space in your general waste bin by collecting your soft plastics separately and taking them to designated soft plastics collection points in and around Darebin. 

How to recycle soft plastics in 4 easy steps

  1. Scrunch it – If it scrunches into a ball, it's probably a soft plastic.
  2. Save it – Keep your clean and dry soft plastics in a bag at home.
  3. Drop it off – Take your full bag to your nearest soft plastics collection point. Check out our handy map below.
  4. Recycle it – Soft plastics can be turned into new products such as outdoor furniture, packaging and road materials.

Soft plastics drop-off points

Explore the soft plastics collection map for a drop-off point near you. Locations include council facilties, and other venues such as supermarkets.

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FAQs

Can I put soft plastics in my recycling bin?

No. Soft plastics should be taken to a dedicated collection point. Find your nearest soft plastics collection point or explore the Darebin collection point map above.

Do soft plastics need to be washed?

They should be empty, clean and dry.

Can I recycle cling wrap?

Yes, cling wrap can be recycled at participating drop-off points or through the free GLAD Food Care Free Recycling Program via TerraCycle.

Cling wrap is not accepted in your yellow-lidded recycling bin and should be placed in your general waste (red-lidded) bin because:

  • it's lightweight and stretchy
  • can get caught in recycling machinery
  • can contaminate other recyclable materials.

Are compostable bags accepted?

No. Compostable bags are not recyclable and should be placed in your general waste (red-lidded) bin. They are made from plant-based materials or polymers that break down naturally, but they contaminate traditional plastic recycling streams and ruin batches of recycled plastic.

What if there is no drop-off point near me?

Place soft plastics in your general waste bin until a suitable recycling option becomes available.

Why recycle soft plastics correctly?

Recycling soft plastics correctly helps to:

  • free up space in your red-lidded bin and reduce waste sent to landfill
  • avoid contaminating your FOGO and recycling bins, so items in those bins can be recovered
  • support a cleaner, more sustainable Darebin. 

How can I reduce my soft plastic waste?

Reducing soft plastic waste starts with making small changes in your everyday life. Choosing reusable bags, buying products with less packaging, purchasing in bulk where practical, and reusing plastic bags and packaging can all help reduce the amount of soft plastic waste generated in your household.

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