Queensland · Brisbane
Soft plastics recycling in QLD
In Queensland, soft plastics cannot go in the yellow-lid recycling bin: the state government lists plastic bags and plastic packaging among the things that do not belong there. There is no Queensland soft plastics scheme. As at September 2026, supermarket in-store collection runs in parts of the state, so check whether your own store has a bin.
Sources Queensland Government: get your plastics sortedRecycle MateWoolworths: soft plastics recycling
What do I do with soft plastics in QLD?
- 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 QLD supermarkets host a soft-plastics bin. Check the store before you drive.
Nearest drop-off: Recycle Mate — find your nearest
Can I put soft plastics in the recycling bin in Queensland?
No. The Queensland Government is explicit that soft plastics, including plastic bags and plastic packaging, do not go in your yellow lid bin. They wrap around sorting machinery and shut a facility down while someone cuts them out by hand. Where no collection point is available, soft plastics go in the red-lid general waste bin.
Is there a soft plastics drop-off in Brisbane?
In participating stores, yes. As at September 2026, Woolworths hosts in-store soft plastics bins at more than 700 stores in partnership with Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia, which was established in August 2024. Woolworths says collection is not yet viable in some regional areas of Queensland, so look for the bin at your own supermarket before you carry a bag in.
How do I tell a soft plastic from a hard one?
Squeeze it. Plastic that stays crumpled is soft plastic and never goes in the yellow lid bin. Plastic that springs back, like a yoghurt tub, is rigid and does belong there.
What can I do about soft plastics apart from the bin?
Use less of it. Loose fruit and vegetables, bread in a paper bag, a reusable produce bag. Reuse bread bags as bin liners. It is unglamorous, but with no Queensland state scheme and patchy in-store collection, cutting the amount you bring home does more than hunting for a drop-off.
Need it gone this week?
Compare council collection, recycling and pickup options on the skip bin hire page for Brisbane.