Word on Waste Newsletter | Q4 2025

1. Industry News

NATIONAL: Soft Plastics Recycling Scheme

VIC: First Soft Plastics facility opening in Bacchus Marsh

Victoria is a step closer to opening its first soft plastics facility in Bacchus Marsh. Operated by APR Plastics, the sister company to Australian Paper Recovery, the site is set to process 10 tonnes of ‘scrunchable’ soft plastics a day. 

Being the first operational advanced chemical recycling facility, it separates the top layer, polypropylene, from the barrier film, turn it into a vapour and then condensed into an oil. It is then sent to a refinery to be processed and reused in food-grade plastic products.

At full-scale, the facility is expected to produce 35 million litres of synthetic crude yearly which Darren Thorpe, the Managing Director of APR Plastics, believes any offset of fossil crude is a win.

The facility is expected to begin operations by first quarter of 2026, with plans of expanding production capacity in a second phase.

QLD: 11B Containers Recycled via ‘Containers for Change’

During National Recycling Week, Queensland’s Containers for Change program surpassed 11 billion returns, delivering $1.1 billion in 10-cent refunds and processing over 3000 containers every minute. 

This milestone came just 7 months after the state celebrated 10 billion containers in April 2025. COEX CEO Natalie Roach said Queenslanders’ collective efforts are creating cleaner communities, strengthening local economies and building a more sustainable future. 

Since its launch in November 2018, the scheme has diverted over 740,000 tonnes of materials from landfill and delivered millions of dollars to charities, schools and community groups. 

Did you know? Adding a container deposit scheme bin to your workplace can boost recycling rates and help turn refunded containers into funds for your office or a chosen charity.

NSW: NSW Plastics Plan 2.0

The NSW Government has recently announced the next phase of its Plastics Plan, outlining new steps to reduce plastic waste in the environment and landfill. 

During the first NSW Plastics Plan, they have made significant progress to reduce the impact of plastics on the environment and communities. For instance, 2025 plastic litter reduction target has been exceeded by 30% compared to the baseline years (2018-19).

Plastics Plan 2.0 sets out actions for businesses, communities and regulators, to be rolled out from 2026 to 2030. Over the next two years, NSW will ban the release of lighter-than-air balloons and phase out several single-use plastic items, including pizza savers, bread tags, umbrella bags and rinse-off products containing microbeads.

Further stages will continue to phase out additional single-use plastics, expand reusable alternatives, boost plastic recycling and reduce contamination. 

Legislation and regulations to implement Plastics Plan 2.0 will be introduced in 2026, alongside ongoing consultation with industry, councils, retailers, manufacturers and the NSW EPA. 

Learn more about the NSW Plastic Action Plan 2.0. 

WA: Australia’s First Energy Recovery Facility is Now Open

The Kwinana Energy Recovery Facility, owned and operated by ACCIONA has officially opened last month, marking a significant milestone in the nation’s ability to manage waste and generate clean energy. 

The facility can turn 460,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste into 38 megawatts of baseload renewable electricity annually, enough to power more than 55,000 homes. Additionally, metals that end up in the incinerator will be recovered, ensuring it is recycled and reused.

In the past three months, the facility has processed over 90,000 tonnes of waste and recovered over 2,500 tonnes of materials, including steel and aluminium. ACCIONA’s CEO believes that the facility underpins Australia’s energy security and decarbonisation goals while creating a sustainable circular solution to waste.