REDcycle with Proud & Punch
Winter is well & truly here... & so are the winter taste buds! Who else has cravings for creamy chocolate & caramel? Just me? Surely not. Living in the northern ends of Australia, the boys & I are lucky enough that winter still comes with a hint of warmth. That’s why our family & friends are digging into Proud & Punch's new and cosy pop flavour to welcome the new season. Caramel Date Night (which has less calories than 100g of plain Greek yoghurt, for those interested for health reasons), is top of my list. The team at Proud & Punch gave the classic caramel a makeover in the kitchen, turning it into a plant-based delight with gooey dates, Aussie almond milk & vegan caramel. I have two words for you all - get some!! Woolies, Coles & select Independent supermarkets are stocked up & ready to feed your family!
The reason for this post however is not to only focus on the deliciousness of Proud & Punch’s pops, but also to introduce Proud & Punch's goal of strengthening Australia's knowledge & efforts around correct recycling (the key word here is correct) through their partnership with REDCycle.
Proud & Punch are a brand committed to reducing their environmental impact. Although there are some parts of the food industry that make waste inevitable, they are doing their best to reduce this and do better every day. That is so important to me as their ambassador!
REDCycle or the REDCycle Program is a recovery initiative for post-consumer soft plastic. They've teamed up with Coles, Woolworths and some of Australia’s most-loved brands to make it easy for us all to keep our plastic bags and soft plastic packaging out of landfill, helping to create a more sustainable future. Proud and Punch is one of the brilliant partners of the Program.
To understand the true value of this initiative, it's important we are all aware of what can and cannot go into our curb side recycling bins. I'm sure you'd be surprised, just like I was years ago when I began investing a lot more time into growing my knowledge, but there’s a lot that CAN NOT go into curb side bins... see the list below. The top category: soft plastics**, one of the biggest offenders time and time again in terms of what ends up in the wrong bin, generally due to a lack of knowledge. This can cause the recycling cog to become jammed & not effective, hence the need for change.
Soft plastics**
Broken glassware or mirrors or glass from a photo frame
Batteries
Clothing and other textiles (these can of course be placed into Good Will bin!)
Food containers with food/sauce/oil in them
Building materials, like pieces of timber or bricks
Paper towels
The REDCycle program is making recycling a far easier concept to grasp as they're dedicated to giving us all a VERY simple solution when it comes to recycled soft plastics! Visit their Drop Off Points in each state. They even have an easy search tool here to find your local and many are found at Coles & Woolies. Easy!
To understand what classifies as, 'soft plastics', it's types of items such as plastic bags, glad wrap, plastic bread sleeves, lolly bags & lettuce bags (i.e. your spinach & rocket etc). Plastic bags, is a surprising one, right? The reason behind plastic bags not being recyclable is: "Plastic bags are inherently difficult to keep free of contaminants and to pull out of the recycling without snagging something else along with them. It is because of these properties that they are the biggest cause of contaminants in our co-mingled recycling."
It's tricky to stay on top of the many recycling Do's and Don'ts so below are a few hacks & simple ideas to educate & remind your family/household of the best ways to commit to REDCycle;
Pop a note on the fridge (or CLICK HERE to download & print my list taken directly from the REDCycle website).
Pop a note or the lists above on or above the actual bins. Better yet, create a dedicated REDCycle bin using a cardboard box.
Create some household incentives!! With your kids, your partner or housemates... make it interesting! Each week or fortnight, whoever collects the least number of REDCycle pieces has to buy the next box of Proud & Punch for the freezer. Orrrr, if your little ones don't have the dollars perhaps their reward for REDCycling could be a night off the dishes, or anything else that motivates them.
Set an alarm or a reminder on your phone!! Every Tuesday or second Tuesday, for example, prompt your memory with an alarm to collect your box of REDCycle appropriate trash and take it to your local drop off.
If you have a weekly outing i.e. a gym class or a regular social outing, make your REDCycle drop off part of the routine. The more consistent the commitment, the more intuitive it'll feel.
Know that like going for a jog feeds you with endorphins, caring for the planet will also feed you with good feelings!
The ONLY way we can successfully make change to our planet is if we all do our part.
To wrap up, below is what WE CAN REDCycle. Make note & don't forget that you can print off these Do and Don't lists by clicking HERE if you wish.
Biscuit packets (outer wrapper only)
Bread bags (without the tie)
Bubble wrap (large sheets cut into A3 size pieces)
Cat and dog food pouches (as clean and dry as possible)
Cellophane from bunches of flowers (cut into A3 size pieces)
Cereal box liners
Chip and cracker packets (silver lined)
Chocolate and snack bar wrappers
Cling film – GLAD WRAP, COLES Home Brand and WOOLWORTHS Essentials Home Brand ONLY
Confectionery bags
Document sleeves (remove the white reinforcement strip along the holes)
Dry pet food bags
Fresh produce bags
Frozen food bags
Green bags (woven polypropylene bags)
Pop/Ice cream wrappers
Large sheets of plastic that furniture comes wrapped in (cut into A3 size pieces)
Meat - plastic packaging that has contained meat (rinse and dry first)
Netting produce bags (any metal clips removed)
Newspaper and magazine wrap
Pasta bags
Pet food bags (chaff/horse/chicken) - both the plastic and woven polypropylene types (but not woven nylon). Cut into A3 size pieces and shake free of as much product as possible
Plastic Australia Post satchels
Plastic carrier bags from all stores
Plastic film wrap from grocery items such as nappies and toilet paper
Plastic sachets
Potting mix and compost bags - both the plastic and woven polypropylene types (cut into A3 size pieces and free of as much product as possible)
Rice bags - both plastic and the woven type (if large, cut into A3 size pieces)
Snap lock bags / zip lock bags
Squeeze pouches with lid on (e.g. yogurt/baby food)
Wine/water bladders - clear plastic ones only
Note – always make sure your plastic is dry and as empty as possible.
For more FAQ’s and other info on the initiative can be seen here - https://redcycle.net.au and follow the movement on Instagram at @redcyclebyredgroup
Happy recycling people! Please do your part for the planet.
Elyse x
