SYDNEY — Woolworths has finally expanded its in-store soft plastics recycling program to more than 700 stores across five states, giving millions of Australian households a convenient way to tackle household waste nearly four years after the collapse of the REDcycle scheme left thousands of tonnes of plastic stockpiled.

The rollout, announced Thursday, marks a major milestone in the supermarket giant's efforts to restore consumer confidence in recycling. Shoppers can now drop off clean, dry soft plastics — including chip packets, bread bags, frozen food wrappers and bubble wrap — at dedicated bins near the entrance of participating stores.

Since the scheme's phased reintroduction in 2024, Australians have already recycled an estimated 40 million pieces of soft plastic, equivalent to roughly 310,000 kilograms, according to Woolworths. The program began as a small trial in five Victorian stores in February 2024 and has steadily expanded amid strong public demand.

"About time," said one Melbourne shopper who dropped off a bag of plastics at her local Woolworths on Thursday morning. Social media erupted with similar sentiments as news of the expansion spread, with many expressing relief after years of uncertainty following REDcycle's 2022 collapse.

From Crisis to Comeback

The REDcycle program once operated at more than 1,500 supermarket locations but shut down abruptly in late 2022 after revelations of massive stockpiles — estimated at up to 12,000 tonnes — that could not be processed due to limited domestic recycling capacity. The scandal eroded public trust and left many wondering what to do with everyday soft plastics that cannot go in household recycling bins.

In response, Woolworths, Coles and ALDI formed the Soft........

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