Soft plastics recycling programme extends for all Aucklanders

8 August 2016: Countdown is expanding its soft plastic recycling across all its Auckland stores, adding an additional 53 of the specially marked recycling bins across stores in August.

The Soft Plastic Recycling Programme launched in November last year and encourages customers to recycle a range of soft plastic packaging such as plastic shopping bags, bread, chip and frozen food packaging.

Customers can now recycle soft plastic at all Countdown’s 63 Auckland supermarkets, including Waiheke Island, as well as Countdown stores in Hamilton and Christchurch. Soft plastics recycling in the Wellington region will go live later this year.

Countdown General Manager Corporate Affairs, James Walker, says the recycling results so far prove this is a programme that customers want to get behind.

“Since the soft plastics recycling programme launched in November last year Countdown customers have collected and dropped off more than 1,800kgs of soft plastic to be recycled. At Countdown we are focused on minimising the impact our business has on the environment and we encourage our customers to join us,” says Mr Walker.

Lyn Mayes, Project Manager for the Soft Plastics Recycling Programme says an additional 52 recycling locations in Auckland is a game-changer for public awareness of the programme.

“This is a step change for Auckland and we are anticipating a significant uptake in collection volumes as Countdown customers begin to notice the bins popping up and the programme continues to grow in popularity.

“With Auckland now fully covered by Countdown, The Warehouse, Pak N Save and New World, we can now look at our next roll out in Wellington as we continue to work towards our goal of covering 70% of the country over the next two years,” says Ms Mayes.

At this year’s Green Ribbon Awards run by the Ministry for the Environment, Countdown won the Resilience to Climate Change category for their work in increasing energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.

Since 2006, Countdown has reduced waste to landfill by 43%, despite having 37% more selling space (eg new and extended stores). Countdown has also increased its recycling rate by 39% since 2006, and now recycles 2.3 times more than they send to the landfill.

ENDS

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