TRC and soft plastics recycling available

Soft plastics recycling now available in Tamworth region

Residents across the Tamworth region can help prevent soft plastics from going to waste through a new, innovative kerbside recycling program. Tamworth Regional Council have been trialling soft plastic recycling through the kerbside bin since February this year and from Thursday 1 December 2022 the program will opened up to everyone in the region.

The Curby Program gives residents a home-based option to recycle clean, soft plastics that are captured within a bag via their yellow-lid kerbside bin, including shopping bags bread bags and bubble wrap. The CurbyApp (available from Apple App Store or Google Play Store) manages both registration and keeps participating households up to date with the items to place into the CurbyTagged bag. Up until recently, these items could only be recycled through community drop-off sites and with the announcement from REDcycle that the Return to Store Program will be paused, the introduction of this new service has proven to be very timely.

Tamworth region Mayor Russell Webb said the Curby Program will bolster the region’s recycling capabilities, which are all designed to reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill.  "Tamworth Regional Council is focussed on becoming more sustainable through new and innovative systems and processes. For the very first time the region will now have access to soft plastics recycling on a region wide scale. Ninety-four per cent (94%) of soft plastics across Australia still end up in landfill, with the introduction of this new innovative service our region can do its part in reducing waste and contributing to a circular economy. By weight, soft plastics make up a small component of the household waste that ends up at our Waste Management Facilities. However, given their lightweight nature, they can sometimes be picked up by the wind and escape into the environment, where they pose a serious threat to our native animals and marine life.”