Recycling of plastic at Coles

[j*oono]

This is probably old news for you but I only just found out about it from a Coles staff member.

Did you know that you can take all of your soft plastic bags to Coles and they are recycled into outdoor furniture for schools?

So many of the plastics that people place in their own bin simply aren't recyclables here and it ends up in landfill. Coles near you should have a bin to collect these items. You can take back shopping bags, produce bags, bread and lolly and frozen food bags etc.

It is in conjunction with recycler RED Group and manufacturer Replas.  Great idea!

http://recyclingnearyou.com.au/news/display/553

[cherry*135]

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@myoclon1cjerk wrote:
S.A has the best system (as usual,like the deposit on cans).No plastic bags.Bring your own and if you don't and need plastic,you pay for it.I think they charge about 15 cents per bag.

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What about in the vege dept? Do the grocery stores have plastic bags to put fruit & vege in?

As j*oono mentioned even if you don't bring supermarket bags home or none given out  there are so many other items sold that  packed in soft plastic bags.

[myoclon1cjerk]

From memory am*3 the fruit and veg markets in Adelaide still used plastic bags,though I'm not 100% certain.I left Adelaide just after the laws were introduced.Supermarkets are of course the largest generators of plastic bags. Quite often I have to ask the checkout to put my purchases in 2 bags instead of 4.Seems a waste to use a separate bag for a loaf of bread and another for a bottle of shampoo and a pack of razors.I dare say management instructs them to do so.

[gleee58]

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@j*oono wrote:

This is probably old news for you but I only just found out about it from a Coles staff member.

Did you know that you can take all of your soft plastic bags to Coles and they are recycled into outdoor furniture for schools?

So many of the plastics that people place in their own bin simply aren't recyclables here and it ends up in landfill. Coles near you should have a bin to collect these items. You can take back shopping bags, produce bags, bread and lolly and frozen food bags etc.

It is in conjunction with recycler RED Group and manufacturer Replas.  Great idea!

http://recyclingnearyou.com.au/news/display/553

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I knew they had a bag deposit area but had no idea what became of the bags. That's a great idea.

[icyfroth]

I don't even accept the bags at the checkout. I put my shopping straight back into trolley, like at Aldi, and pack it into green bags I keep in the boot of the car.

The produce bags I use as tidy bin liners in the bathroom and kitchen.

But yes, every coles,  w/worths and IGA here, that I've seen,  has a bin for recycling plastic bags.

[cherry*135]

Plastic bags used as liners in household bins end up in landfill and don't disintegrate for a very long time.

I buy biodegradable bin liner bags, the cost is a few cents each bag.

[icyfroth]

yeah well plastic bags made into outdoor furniture eventually turn into landfill too.

The idea is to minimise production and use of plastic bags.

[vicr3000]

I would like to see the cradle to grave environmental cost of the process.

It might be doing more harm than good to the environment.


Just because you turn one thing into another by recycling does NOT mean that is better for the environment
Than throwing the bag out in the first place.

People seem to forget that it is more than just the feel good factor.

[j*oono]

Are we going to argue over this too? LOL 

[icyfroth]

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@j*oono wrote:

Are we going to argue over this too? LOL 

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We don't argue, Joono, we discuss 

[polksaladallie]

If you know anybody who has a flea market stall, they are always crying out for plastic bags.  I used to get mine from the recycle bin in the supermarket.