Community food network closes its soft plastics recycling loop

When Australia’s supermarket soft plastics scheme collapsed in 2022, it exposed a structural weakness in the country’s recycling system. Soft plastics are among the least recovered materials in the country, largely excluded from kerbside recycling and reliant on voluntary drop-off schemes.

Box Divvy, a community-based food network operating across NSW, Victoria and the ACT, has now built its own soft plastics collection and recycling pipeline, diverting approximately 2.5 tonnes from landfill each month.

The company operates more than 350 neighbourhood food hubs and describes itself as “the Unsupermarket”, a decentralised model connecting members with seasonal produce and pantry goods from mostly Australian suppliers. Built on principles of pricing transparency, reduced food miles and community distribution, the network was originally designed to strengthen local food systems.

Its model reduces layers of retail packaging by distributing food through neighbourhood hubs rather than individual supermarket shelves. The soft plastics initiative extends that philosophy further, addressing the packaging that still enters the system.

“If we are serious about reshaping food systems, we cannot ignore the packaging that comes with them,” said Anton van den Berg, co-founder of Box Divvy. “We talk about transparency and fairness in supply chains. Taking responsibility for soft plastics is part of that same commitment.”

Members can bring scrunchable plastics to their local Hub on collection day at no cost. Hub operators are paid by Box Divvy to host and manage the bin. Collected plastics are picked up weekly by sustainability partner ReSmart and transported to a Sydney aggregation warehouse. From there, the material is sent to an EPA-approved Victorian processor, where it is to be converted into resin and manufactured into new food-grade bags.

Box Divvy plans to purchase these recycled bags to package dry goods such as nuts and beans sold through its network.

Over the past 12 months, the company has worked to establish the infrastructure required to scale the program across its network. The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) contributed 50% of the upfront cost of 500 dedicated 240 L soft plastics bins, with Box Divvy funding the balance and covering ongoing collection and processing costs.

The first 140 bins were installed in December. A further 170 have since been deployed. Around 90% of Box Divvy Hubs in NSW and the ACT now host a soft plastics bin, with additional sites continuing to join the program. With expanded rollout, monthly volumes are expected to approach three tonnes.

“Rebuilding confidence in soft plastics recycling starts with reliable infrastructure,” said Mikey Dukey from ReSmart. “ReSmart’s role in this partnership, providing consistent weekly collection and a clear pathway from neighbourhood Hub to processor, is what makes verified outcomes possible. When the logistics are right, soft plastics can then be successfully remanufactured into new products, and that’s exactly what this program delivers.”

The initiative builds on a smaller 2024 pilot in the Southern Highlands, where six hubs collected 750 kg within months. Scaling the model required coordination across logistics, processing and funding partners to ensure the system was viable long-term. Collection volumes are tracked weekly, allowing the Box Divvy network to verify diversion rates and adjust collection logistics as the program expands.

“Circular economy only works if someone closes the loop,” Van den Berg said. “We are in a position to do that within our own network. If communities control parts of the supply chain, they can also take responsibility for the waste that flows through it.”

Images supplied by Box Divvy.