Soft plastic recycling is back after the REDcycle collapse – but only in 12 supermarkets. Will it work this time?

By Anya Phelan, Griffith University After the memorable collapse of Australia’s largest soft plastic recycling program REDcycle in late 2022, a new scheme is emerging. It’s remarkably similar, albeit on a much smaller scale. The trial underway in 12 Melbourne supermarkets intends, once again, to provide customers with an in-store option for recycling “scrunchable” food…

UQ team works towards commercialisiation of plastics that break down in seawater

Researchers from The University of Queensland are developing novel plastic that the university says is affordable, can biodegrade in seawater, and could provide a solution to waste issues. According to a statement from UQ on Thursday, Dr Ruirui Qiao from the university’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology is leading work with AIBN colleague Professor…

Grants up to $20 million open for plastics recycling technology projects

Applications opened on Tuesday morning for the Plastics Technology stream of the federal Recycling Modernisation Fund, offering grant funding of between $1 million and $20 million each to projects concerned with hard-to-recycle plastics. According to a statement from federal environment minister Tanya Plibersek, up to $60 million in total would support projects including: advanced recycling…