Soft plastic recycling back thanks to collaboration

Preparing to ship soft plastic from Dunedin to Auckland, where it will be manufactured into fence posts are from left, Blair Kippenberger, Greg Nel and Mike Littlejohn. Photo / Craig Baxter

Soft plastic recycling has returned to Dunedin following a three-year hiatus after local business owners decided to work together for the greater good.

Mayor Aaron Hawkins hailed the scheme as an excellent example of local businesses collaborating to reduce their impact on the environment.

Packaging Forum chief executive Rob Langford said Dunedin consumers had been repeatedly asking when the soft plastic recycling scheme would return.

He was pleased to announce it was back, three years after it was scrapped because of logistical challenges.

The Packaging Forum had been working with local businesses to get the scheme back up and running, he said.

Cargill Enterprises would pick up soft plastics from stores, which would be baled and palletised by Waste Management.

Those would be backhauled by Cottonsoft to Christchurch, then to Auckland by Goodman Fielder.

It was important the scheme was integrated into existing distribution networks, in order not to be adding an additional layer of carbon costs, Langford said.

The soft plastics would ultimately be manufactured into fenceposts for farms, vineyards and gardens by Future Post, which was seeking to expand its operations due to high demand.

The packaging forum was ultimately looking to expand the scheme nationwide, Langford said.

Soft plastic recycling would be available at eight participating Countdown, New World and The Warehouse stores in Dunedin.