Bubble wrap can be recycled alongside other plastic films, like plastic bags, at designated recycling bins. These bins are typically advertised for plastic bag recycling and can be found at most grocery stores.
Bubble wrap can also be dropped off at selected Woolworths and Coles Stores, which are collected by REDcycle. REDcycle process the plastics and then send them to Replas, who create recycled plastic products such as decking, fencing, signage and furniture.
Can I recycle bubble wrap via the program? Sure, we love bubble wrap. If you have large pieces of bubble wrap, please cut them into A3 size. Large sheets are too bulky to be placed in the bins.
Place it in an appropriate plastic recycling bin and ensure your waste goes to the relevant waste management plant where bubble wrap recycling takes place.
Soft plastic refers to grocery bags, bread bags, bubble wrap, plastic wrappers of products such as biscuits, chips, anything you buy that has a soft plastic sheath. Soft plastic CAN be recycled. Clean and gather your bags and wrappers and take them to your nearest participating store.
Thin plastic like bubble wrap is made from low-quality plastic which cannot be recycled at home. If you have space, the best thing you can do with bubble wrap is hold onto it and reuse it another time. Alternatively, it can go in the rubbish bin, or you can take it to a recycling collection point.
Plastic bags and soft plastics
Plastic bags can't go in your kerbside recycling bin – they jam our recycling sorting machines. Soft plastics include bread bags, rice bags, chip packets and any plastic that you can scrunch in your hand.
Unfortunately cling film cannot currently be recycled and should be put into your non-recyclable bin. The outer packaging and inner tubes that are made of cardboard can be placed in most household collections.
Even though bubble wrap was a breakthrough in the packaging industry and became the most well-known form of protective packaging world-wide, it can be rather damaging to the environment with it being made from plastic materials that are not biodegradable.
Yes, it's true, Ziploc® brand bags are recyclable. Really! Just look for the bin next time you're at your local participating store. Your used Ziploc® brand bags (clean and dry) go in the same bins as those plastic shopping bags.
The majority of bubble wrap is made from a thin, soft plastic that is called #4 low-density polyethene film. It's exactly the same material plastic shopping bags are made from.
When kept dry and separate from other waste, clear plastic wrap from retail businesses makes for a higher grade of recyclable. Clear plastic wrap such as shrink wrap and pallet wrap can be separated and placed in a dedicated bin for easy recycling.
Bubble wrap and other soft plastics go in the red general waste bin.
Paper padded envelopes:
If the envelope is padded with bubble wrap or plastic, the envelope cannot be recycled in your curbside bin. However, the plastic can usually be returned where you would take your plastic bags.
Biogone's bubble wrap rolls can be used like any traditional or standard bubble wrap, but instead of it lingering for hundreds of years in the landfill, it biodegrades in landfills an estimated 20 times faster than conventional bubble wrap.
Here's why you shouldn't use newspaper. The black ink on newspaper can rub off and transfer onto things you are moving which is why you shouldn't use newspaper as packing material. China and other fragile items can end up covered in newspaper ink once your boxes have arrived at their destination.
You should never put these items in your recycling bin. There is good news, though! Once all labels and stickers are removed, clean and dry all-plastic padded envelopes can be dropped off with your plastic bags at your local grocery store for recycling.
Now when it comes to the paper - if it is unused, yes, it is recyclable. When it comes to dirty napkins or greasy pizza boxes, those are considered non-recyclable. As for the toilet paper tubes, they are recyclable as well. There's an endless amount of items to make with recycled paper.
Why can't you recycle plastic wrap? Plastic wrap often directly contacts food, which can lead to contamination of other products during the recycling process.
Recycle Beyond the Bag – Recycle Plastic Film
You may have heard that plastic bags are recyclable, but did you know that plastic film is, too? Plastic film, such as produce bags, dry cleaning bags, the wrap around paper towels and diapers, and more, can be recycled along with plastic bags.
Polyvinyl chloride (or PVC). It contains a toxic substance called nonylphenol, which does not prevent it from being used in a wide range of products, from door frames to credit cards to various construction materials. It is one of the most difficult plastics to recycle.
The REDcycle program was suspended in November 2022 after it came to light that the company had been stockpiling collected soft plastics for an unknown period due to insufficient processing capacity.
Whether it's bread bags or frozen food bags, crisp packets or pet food pouches, loo roll wrap or chocolate wrappers – you can now recycle all of these at more than 4000 supermarkets. By recycling together, we can make change for the better and have a positive impact on the planet.
Can polystyrene be recycled? Polystyrene is a type of plastic which is not commonly recycled and should be placed in the waste bin.