What we've come to know about combatting climate change as a whole, is that there is no one thing that's going to drastically reverse the affects of it within our lifetime. what we can do, however, is implement practices into our daily lives to reduce our footprint, and show our leaders what is important for us as a society. Recycling in Australia can be a blurry topic in general when it's hardly a specific process, but what you may not know, is that soft plastics cannot be put in general recycling bins in Australia, because it jams the automated sorting machines, which is bad news for the avid online shoppers of the world.

The good news, is that there are alternate ways to recycle soft plastics, and it's no where near as difficult as you may think.

The REDcycle program

The rule of thumb with the REDcycle program is that if it is plastic that scrunches, they will take it. Simply collect all of your soft plastics that you can't recycle at home, and make sure they are as clean and dry as possible. Once you've collected your plastics, you can drop these at REDcycle bins throughout Australia, in select mainstream supermarkets like Coles and Woolworths.

Return and Earn

If you're looking for an incentive to recycle, Return and Earn is a great option to incorporate into your lifestyle. Simply collect eligible bottles (more on that via the Return and Earn site), and locate the most convenient drop off point for you. Each bottle is worth 10 cents, so if you do this regularly enough, you could be paying for your morning coffee in no time.

When it comes to hard plastics and cardboard, the best option is to stick with kerbside recycling bins at home. With the climate crisis looming, and our world leaders hardly taking the  issue seriously, it's important to take matters into our own hands and do our best to make sure the plastic we are using is disposed of responsibly.