Did you know that Coles shopping bags are made of 80 per cent recycled plastic and 20 per cent plastic marine waste? Every piece of plastic collected at REDcycle drop-off points in Aspley and nearby suburbs has contributed to the initiative to turn them into shopping bags.
Coles offers marine reusable shopping bags at most of its stores for 25c each. The initiative is under the Coles’ Together zero waste ambition to remove waste content from the environment and increase the amount of recycled content.
This has allowed Coles to reduce the need to use virgin plastic as well, boosting the circular economy solution to plastic waste. The initiative is also supporting the delivery of Australia’s 2025 National Packaging Targets.
About 10 per cent of the marine reusable shopping bags’ sale is diverted to the Clean Up Australia’s Buy Recycled program.
Coles is also rolling out reusable mesh produce bags across the country for customers to purchase and reuse when buying fruit and veggies. The bags are made from 90% recycled material, helping customers reduce their need for single-use plastics while they shop.
Earlier this year, Coles also rolled out fresh produce bags made from 50% recycled plastic across its supermarkets. This initiative, along with improvements such as increasing the number of bags per roll and replacing plastic cylinders with cardboard, will reduce Coles’ use of virgin plastic by about 130 tonnes each year.
“Coles and our customers have collected more than 2.3 billion pieces of soft plastic through REDcycle since 2011 and we plan to continue this journey to divert plastic packaging from landfill,” Coles’ Chief Sustainability, Property and Export Officer Thinus Keevé said.
“We encourage our customers to reuse their bags as often as possible, but when they do reach the end of their useful life, these bags can be recycled through soft plastic collections in any our stores at the REDcycle drop off points.”
REDcyle Drop-Off Points
In Aspley and nearby suburbs, REDcyle drop-off points are found at:
| Coles Aspley 591 Robinsons Rd Aspley QLD 4034 | Coles Aspley Village 59 Albany Creek Rd Aspley Hypermarket QLD 4034 |
| Woolworths Aspley 59 Albany Creek Rd Aspley QLD 4034 | Woolworths Carseldine 735 Beams Rd Carseldine QLD 4034 |
| Coles Taigum 312-320 Roghan Road Taigum QLD 4018 | Woolworths Taigum 217 Beams Rd Taigum QLD 4018 |
| Coles Bracken Ridge Cnr Norris & Telegraph Rds Bracken Ridge QLD 4017 | Coles Chermside Westfield S/C, Cnr Gympie & Hamilton Rds Chermside QLD 4032 |
