Three Coromandel supermarkets are among five stores nationwide trialling a new customer-operated soft plastics recycling machine, designed to make recycling easier and reduce pressure on supermarket staff.
The five-month trial is being rolled out at New World Whangamatā, New World Whitianga, PAK’nSAVE Thames, alongside stores in Birkenhead and Matamata.
The compacting machines, developed in New Zealand by Manco Environmental, are believed to be the world’s first front-of-house soft plastics compactors designed for direct customer use in supermarkets.
The trial is being run in partnership with The Packaging Forum’s Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme and Manco Environmental.
Foodstuffs Sustainable Packaging Lead Debra Goulding said the current soft plastics recycling process can be difficult for stores to manage, particularly in remote areas where collection and transport costs are higher.
“Customers love being able to recycle their soft plastics, and we want to keep offering that,” Goulding said.
“But it’s a very hands-on process behind the scenes. Teams can be emptying bins multiple times a day, sorting contamination, compacting plastic and organising collections.”
The enclosed machines can reportedly hold up to five times more plastic than standard recycling bins, compacting material into sealed liners ready for collection. Foodstuffs says the system is expected to reduce handling requirements for staff while also cutting contamination by making the recycling process clearer for customers.
Goulding said the Coromandel stores were selected because of the additional challenges they face.
“They collect high volumes, but they’re also off the beaten track, so transport costs add up quickly,” she said.
“This trial will help us see whether this kind of setup can take some of that pressure off.”
New World Whangamatā owner-operator Ricky Bowen said customers in the area were highly engaged with soft plastics recycling.
“Our customers are really engaged with soft plastics recycling, and we see a lot coming back through the doors,” Bowen said.
“But managing it takes time, especially making sure it’s clean and ready to go. If we can make that simpler, it makes a real difference for the team and keeps the service going for customers.”
The trial will assess whether customers use the machines correctly and whether the technology reduces operational workload for supermarket teams. Foodstuffs says if the trial proves successful, the system could be expanded further, with overseas recycling programmes already monitoring the results closely.
