Thanks to the passion and commitment of Central Coast residents, soft plastics recycling is now available to every household across the region.
Since the Curby Community Recycling Program launched in 2021, the Central Coast has led the way.
Of the 350,000kg of soft plastics collected, more than 200,000kg – about 57% – came from Central Coast households alone.
Central Coast Mayor Lawrie McKinna said the outstanding result was a direct reflection of the community’s desire to reduce waste and protect the environment.
“I’m proud that Council led the way in Australia with the introduction of this first-of-its-kind soft plastics recycling program,” McKinna said.
“This rollout now to every household is only possible because of the incredible response from our residents.
“Our community has shown that soft plastics recycling works and that through this initiative we are making a real difference across our region and achieving great things for the environment.”
Australians use 70 billion pieces of soft plastics every year.
These plastics – which can be recycled – usually end up in landfill.
But now, on the Central Coast, everyday items like chip packets, plastic bags, cling wrap and even toilet paper wrapping are being given a second life.
They’re being repurposed into park benches, fence posts, household bins and more.
Delivered in partnership with IQ Renew and CurbCycle, the Curby program is now part of the region’s regular waste collection service.
It’s free, easy and designed to make recycling soft plastics simple for every household.
To join, fill any soft plastic bag with clean, scrunchable plastics (go to www.curbyit.com to check what’s accepted), attach a CurbyTag – completely free for Central Coast residents and available from Council libraries, Customer Service Centres or online, scan the tag using the Curby app (scanning helps prevent contamination and tracks how much waste we’re diverting from landfill) then place the bag in the yellow recycling bin.
If you are already one of the 15,000 Curby users on the Central Coast, pick up your new tags and visit www.curbyit.com to check the updated process.
The Curby program is free and opt-in for all Central Coast households. To register or learn more, visit www.curbyit.com.
Pick up your free Curby tags from Council Customer Service Centres in Gosford and Wyong, any Council library or online.
