PepsiCo and Clean Up Australia have partnered on a three-year campaign to drive soft plastic recycling.
The company are investing $650,000 in the program, dubbed Greening the Green, to educate consumers on soft plastic recovery.
According to the most recent Australian Plastics Recycling Survey, less than 10 per cent of the 3.4 million tonnes of plastics consumed in Australia are recycled.
REDcycle (supported by Replas) are also involved in the program, which will see a 12 week partnership with 110 local sports facilities across Australia fto drive awareness of recycling and provide better waste management systems.
Participating facilities will also be provided furniture made from recycled plastics, created by Replas.
PepsiCo Australia and New Zealand CEO Danny Celoni said it furthered the company’s commitment to sustainability, including an existing partnership with REDcycle.
Clean Up Australia Chairman Pip Kiernan said it was a step towards reducing plastic waste.
“Clean Up Australia volunteers consistently tell us that plastics are the most common item they are removing from our streets, parks, sporting facilities, bushland, beaches and waterways and it’s disappointing to see that soft plastic counts continue to rise. Last year, 30 per cent of plastics reported to us were soft plastics – a percentage that has doubled over the past two years,” Ms Kiernan said.
“There has never been a better time to step up to eradicate soft plastic litter, capture this wasted resource and turn it into attractive outdoor furniture. Greening the Green is the perfect vehicle, bringing together business, community and local government.”
Clean Up Australia Day takes place nationally on March 1. This year marks 30 years for the initiative, founded by the late Ian Kiernan, which has grown to a global movement. To date more than 365,000 ute-loads of rubbish have been removed during CUA activities.