Lincolnshire Co-op now offering soft plastic recycling

Paving the way for a greener future, Lincolnshire Co-op are introducing a new in-store soft plastic recycling scheme.

No matter the brand or retailer, they’ll be collecting all types of clean, ‘scrunchy’ plastic film. Examples of ‘scrunchy’ plastics includes chocolate wrappers, lids from ready meals, bread bags, or cereal box liners.

Lincolnshire Co-op will be promoting the slogan ‘Clean it. Scrunch it. Co-op it.’, to help shoppers remember the easy three-step process.

All items must be cleaned beforehand, and if they bounce back when scrunched into a ball this is a good sign it’s soft plastic. Once the item is clean and the shopper is sure it meets the soft plastic criteria, they can simply dispose of it at a local food store.

The recycling units will be available at 70 different stores across their trading area and will give a greener alternative for items that may have previously gone to landfill.

Estimates from WRAP suggest that 760,000 tonnes of plastic film end up in UK waste streams every year, with half originating from households. While local councils offer recycling for hard plastics such as yogurt pots or milk bottles, soft plastics are not collected, so this scheme gives an accessible option for shoppers wanting to play their part.

You can find your nearest store here, if a store has a soft plastic recycling unit, it’ll show under ‘services’.