Australia’s consumer watchdog proposes to allow the major supermarket chains to continue their collaboration to recycle stockpiled soft plastics and pilot in-store collection program until July 31, 2026.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is seeking feedback on this proposed further authorisation for Coles, Woolworths, and Aldi to continue to collaborate through the Soft Plastics Taskforce, with submissions on its draft determination due on January 24, 2025.
The supermarket chains received the first authorisation on June 30 last year, following the collapse of Redcycle, operator of the soft plastics collection and recycling program.
The ACCC granted interim authorisation last July as the first authorised conduct was due to expire.
“We understand the outlook for processing a larger share of the soft plastics stockpile is improving as more processors are due to come online in 2025, and we propose to grant authorisation to enable continued joint management of the stockpile without further delay,” said Mick Keogh, ACCC deputy chair.
“It is very concerning that the vast majority of the stockpiles left over from Redcycle have not been processed almost two years later.”
The ACCC proposes to maintain the same requirement to the supermarket companies to provide the government agency with quarterly progress reports and minutes of each meeting of the Soft Plastics Taskforce.
It also proposes to require all arrangements to immediately stop when the authorisation expires or is revoked.
Moreover, the ACCC is proposing a new condition to restrict the major supermarkets from preventing recycling or logistic providers from supplying services to other customers.
“Given the level of consumer concern, it is important that there is continued transparency about what progress the supermarkets are making in their processing of the soft plastic stockpiles and the progress towards recommencing in-store collections,” said Keogh.
