They were forced to do away with single use bags, but now Australia’s supermarkets are battling plastic pollution enthusiastically. One of them has collected the equivalent of the world’s circumference in waste.

Kristen Camp reports.

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Retailing giant Coles says it’s customers have increased their recycling by 32 per cent in a year.

And Kenmore locals are better at it than most.

Steve Cadogan, Kenmore Store Manager: “The community in Kenmore, have raised or saved 2.5 tonnes of plastic that’s just been diverted from landfill into recycling.”

They’ve recycled 2.5 tonnes of unwanted soft plastic.

Australia wide, the total of soft plastic including bags and wrappers left in RedCycle bins was 900 tonnes.

Many products on the shelves are wrapped in soft plastics.

The efforts of customers to recycle this packaging helps to divert this rubbish from landfill.

It’s material that can’t be recycled in the normal way, and once processed eventually ends up as furniture, playground equipment and even road materials.

Steve Cadogan, Kenmore Store Manager: “And I just want to say to our Kenmore community, please continue to do this because it’s a really important cause.”

Shoppers say they are happy to have some where to put the plastic rubbish.

Vox 1: “Oh it’s excellent, it’s excellent, there’s no where else to take them.”

Vox 2: “Yeah great. I hadn’t noticed them before.”

Brisbane residents have also become much better at using the reverse vending machines at recycling centres.

Garth Graves, TOMRA Recycling: “Customers can use the reverse vending machines to redeem their 10 cents deposit on all of those containers.”

But recyclers say more people can still get involved.

Kristen Camp, QUT News.