Supermarket recycling scheme secretly stockpiling plastic in warehouses

Australia’s largest soft plastic recycling program has collapsed amid revelations hundreds of millions of items were secretly stockpiled in warehouses.
The Brisbane Times reveals the plastics, dropped off by customers at Coles and Woolworths stores, were never sent to other companies to make items such as bollards and outdoor furniture.
Melbourne-based REDcycle did not publicly announce the suspension of its recycling program and has for months continued to collect large volumes of soft plastics from drop off points at supermarkets.
On Tuesday night, REDcycle announced the suspension of its program due to “untenable pressure”.
Australian Council of Recycling boss Suzanne Toombooroo told Laurel, Gary & Mark a number of factors led to the program’s collapse.
“There’s been, for example, a fire in one of the most important factories that processes this,” she said.
“When you have that kind of infrastructure break down, that creates some serious disruption.”
Press PLAY below to hear what will happen to the plastic currently sitting in storage
Image: Getty