What to do with my soft plastics

Why are soft plastics now allowed to be placed in my recycling bin? There are two reasons: Improvements to facilities along with Emergence of new markets. In Ireland we collect all recyclables in the same bin and the sorting of all these materials take place at a recycling facility. Irish recycling plants are upgrading their mechanised sorting facilities to allow for more sorting of plastic. Until 2020 Irish recycling facilities could only process rigid plastics. Most plastics collected in Ireland are exported for recycling. Over the past year a number of new markets specifically handling soft plastics have emerged and Irish plastic can now be exported to these facilities for recycling. If it cannot currently be recycled it will be sent as Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) to replace fossil fuels at cement kilns.

The below listed items can be placed into the household recycling bin, provided items are Clean, Dry and Loose. Soft plastic items CLEAN DRY AND LOOSE: Bread wrappers Fruit/veg and salad wraps and bags Kitchen/ toilet roll outer wrap Breakfast cereal bags Plastic shopping/carrier bags Dried fruit/seed and nut bags Frozen food bags Pasta/rice/noodle bags Cheese packs outer wrap Baked goods/Confectionary outer wrappers Crisp/cracker wrappers Bubble wrap Electrical item/white goods/appliances bags/wrap Mattress / pillow wrap Wet wipes outer wrap Detergent/dishwasher bags Garden compost / bark bags Rigid plastic items CLEAN, DRY AND LOOSE. Please continue to Recycle. All pots, tubs and trays Water/juice Bottles Milk/cream Bottles Sauce/dressing Bottles Meat / veg / bread trays Butter/margarine / ice-cream tubs Yogurt pots Salad/fruit bowls Chocolate/biscuit trays Bottle/jar lids Take-away plastic containers Shampoo / liquid soap and gel bottles Make-up/toiletry tubs and mouth wash bottles Detergent/household cleaning bottles Plastic plant pots