BREAD bags, biscuit wrappers and fresh produce bags are among the things Woolworths staff encourage people to recycle rather than throw into landfill.
According to Millicent Woolworths assistant manager Tobias Bastiaanse, increasing numbers of shoppers are recycling plastic bags and soft plastic packaging out of landfill.
Woolworths’ in store REDcycle program diverts flexible plastic, such as pasta and rice bags, frozen food and vegetable bags, cereal box liners and plastic and green shopping bags from landfill and turns them into a material for use in new product.
“It is in all Woollies stores and what we do at the end of week is take all of the plastics back to the warehouse to be recycled,” Mr Bastiaanse said.
“Woollies has become a lot better when it comes to food waste as well.
“All of the leftover bakery goods and produce, fruit and vegetables, that all gets donated to farmers for their feed.
“Anything that has not expired or is non-perishable we donate to Foodbank.”
Mr Bastiaanse said expired food may be an item past its use by date, or can occur when a customer has moved something that is meant to be refrigerated and placed it in another aisle.
“It is rare that customers do that,” he said.
“I once found a rotisserie chicken somewhere it was not supposed to be, so try not to do it.”
Woolworths manager Ben Peck said recycling “certainly seems to be a hit down here”.
He said being mindful of plastic was at the forefront of customers’ concerns.
“Customers even coming from outside the area to use the service,” he said.
“Nationally, we have now repurposed almost 500 tonnes of soft plastics into useful items like outdoor furniture and benches for community groups and stores.”
According to Woolworths, the Lion King Ooshies can be recycled, with the supermarket chain partnering with TerraCycle to turn old Ooshies into outdoors furniture.
