Australian Capital Territory · Canberra
Soft plastics recycling in ACT
In the ACT, soft plastic must not go in the household recycling bin, because it tangles the machinery at the materials recovery facility. Bread bags, pasta packets and courier satchels go in the red lid general waste bin. As at September 2026 Woolworths hosts in-store bins at some Canberra stores, so check your nearest participating store.
Sources ACT Recyclopaedia: plastic bags and soft plasticsACT Government: binsWoolworths: soft plastics recycling
What do I do with soft plastics in the ACT?
- The scrunch test If it scrunches in your fist and stays scrunched, it's a soft plastic — bread bags, pasta packets, bubble wrap, courier satchels.
- Never the recycling bin Soft plastics are the single biggest contaminant in kerbside recycling in Australia.
- You might have a bin Woolworths hosts soft-plastics bins at the front of more than 700 stores with Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia, but not in some regional areas. Check your nearest participating store before you drive.
As at September 2026 some ACT supermarkets host a soft-plastics bin. Check the store before you drive.
Nearest drop-off: Recyclopaedia — the ACT A to Z guide to recycling, reuse and disposal
Can soft plastics go in the recycling bin in Canberra?
No. The ACT instruction is direct: soft plastic must not go in your household recycling bin. It wraps around the sorting machinery at the materials recovery facility, and the ACT Government's own advice is to put it in the red lid general waste bin instead. That includes the plastic bag you were about to put the recycling in.
Is there a soft plastics drop-off in Canberra?
There is no ACT Government collection. As at September 2026 Woolworths hosts in-store soft plastics bins at more than 700 stores nationally in partnership with Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia, including some Canberra stores. The ACT also points to the paid services RecycleSmart, which collects from the doorstep, and the TerraCycle Zero Waste Box.
How do I tell a soft plastic from a hard one?
Scrunch it and let go. Soft plastic stays in a ball and goes in the red lid bin. Rigid plastic, such as a takeaway container, holds its shape and belongs in the yellow lid recycling.
What else can I do about soft plastics in the ACT?
Buy less of it. Loose fruit and vegetables, a paper bag from the bakery, a reusable produce bag and refills all shrink the pile. Reuse bread bags as bin liners so they do a second job before landfill. The paid routes, a RecycleSmart pickup or a TerraCycle box, are there if you want the plastic kept out of landfill and will pay for it.
Need it gone this week?
Compare council collection, recycling and pickup options on the skip bin hire page for Canberra.