Soft Plastics, Solid Growth, and 1.5M KG of Waste
RecycleSmart: Powering Smarter Waste Solutions for a Greener Australia
RecycleSmart (Climate Salad member since Feb 2022) is a standout Australian climate tech startup tackling one of the most persistent challenges in sustainabilityâsoft plastics, e-waste, and hard-to-recycle household items. Already, RecycleSmart have diverted over 1.5 million kg of waste from landfill.
While kerbside recycling struggles with contamination and limited sorting capabilities, RecycleSmart fills the gap with a tech-enabled, on-demand collection service. Customers simply bag their non-standard recyclables, book a pickup via the app, and a local driver ensures everything gets to the right recycling stream. Simple, smart, and scalable.
Why is this important? Australia generates over 70 million tonnes of waste annually. Only a fraction is properly sorted and recycled, especially complex materials like batteries, textiles, and soft plastics. RecycleSmartâs solution bypasses the limitations of conventional waste systems and empowers households to participate in the circular economy without friction.
This isnât just a feel-good initiativeâitâs real climate impact. By diverting waste from landfills, RecycleSmart helps reduce methane emissions and conserve the embedded carbon in materials. Their data-driven platform also offers councils and partners better visibility into recycling behaviour, allowing smarter policy and resource planning.
The company is scaling fast, now operating in over 100 local government areas. But to reach full potential, it needs growth capital and strategic support. If Australia is serious about hitting net-zero targets and building a circular economy, then investing in practical, user-friendly platforms like RecycleSmart is essential. This is climate tech where impact meets convenienceâexactly whatâs needed to drive behaviour change at scale.
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Sound exciting? It is. And right now you could become an investor.
RecycleSmart are raising money via Birchal. It closes on Thursday July 3rd.
https://www.birchal.com/company/recyclesmart
Quotes from happy customers of RecylceSmart:
âAs a household that's very conscious about our waste, we were devastated when Redcycle collapsed and the supermarkets stopped collecting soft plastics. For a while we just hoarded it all in our garage, then fortunately RecycleSmart stepped in to save the day. We're a regular subscriber for soft plastics, but have used their collections for a wide range of other "hard to recycle" items. Such a useful and convenient service!â - Rich
âHi! We have been using RecycleSmart since its inception as a household of 2 adults and 4 kids. It has been great for getting all the kids' toys, books, clothes out of the house and knowing it's going to the right places. It also saved the soft plastics for us when Redcycle died. I have now introduced RecycleSmart not only to more than a dozen friends but my workplace and school where we have purchased a specific soft plastics bin that Recycle Smart is now connected with.â - Tracy
âIn our family, we've taught our four year old which plastics should go into the soft plastics recycling versus other plastics. He now puts it away correctly! And when pickup time comes, I hang some grocery bags full of soft plastics in the morning and RecycleSmart's app and drivers come pick it up super conveniently and after work I pick it up at night when I come home. It just makes life a whole lot easier so I can make more family time. Thanks North Sydney Council and RecycleSmart for coming together to make it easier for residents!" - Rob, resident North Sydney
âMy daughter and I take soft plastics from our walks and put it in our wonderful pink bags that get picked up. Itâs just great to be able to so easily do the right thing.â - Mick Liubinskas, some climate guyâŚ
Partnership Power in Plastics with Samsara
Big milestone for Climate Salad member Samsara Eco: theyâve just signed a 10-year multi-polymer offtake agreement with lululemon, covering up to 20% of the brandâs total fibre portfolio.
Thatâs a massive commitment to circularityâand a strong signal that recycled nylon 6,6 and polyester arenât fringe tech anymore. Theyâre scaling.
This deal is one of the biggest offtake agreements for advanced recycled materials in years. And itâs just the start. The faster major brands shift to recycled inputs and circular design, the faster we get to a truly regenerative materials economy.
Congrats to the Samsara teamâthis is how you turn deeptech into deep impact. Â
Read more here;
https://www.samsaraeco.com/press-release-lulu-lemon-10-yearplan/ Â
Also read about Phil Morleâs views on how to use partnerships to grow;
https://philmorle.medium.com/the-altitude-playbook-0b89a514e924
Nice to See Uluu Growing and Growing
Uluuâs co-founders Michael Kingsbury and Dr Julia Reisser just got back from the United Nations Ocean Conference 2025 in Nice.
The event brought together more than 10,000 participants including world leaders, scientists, innovators and advocates to discuss implementing marine protected areas, ending plastic pollution, tackling climate change, and building a healthy blue economy.
Michael and Julia focused on connecting with fellow blue innovation founders and ocean impact investors, proudly representing Uluu as part of a new wave of ocean solutions.
Find out more;
New Customers For Great Wrap
Stairlock makes, supplies and installs a range of staircases and stair parts across Australia. With over forty years in business, they design stairs that blend form and function seamlessly.
They've recently transitioned to Great Wrap in their supply chain and are now using our 20Âľm Compostable Hand and Machine Pallet Wrap.
Lachlan Grzywacz, Production Manager at Stairlock, said: "We are working on reducing waste and making considered improvements which ensure we are a more sustainable business now and into the future. We are very pleased to be working with Great Wrap â a professional, cooperative bunch, with innovative products and thinking."
We love hearing this feedback! Get in touch if you'd like to try our wrap too:
https://greatwrap.com.au/pages/enquiries
What about not using plastic?
1.5% of global plastic waste comes from the stretch wrap that is used to secure goods to pallets for transport.
Bearhug is working to eliminate this stretch wrap by developing the automation and return systems necessary to make their reusable wraps the go to alternative. Their reusable pallet wraps are the cheapest and most sustainable alternative available, with each wrap replacing 350 kg of plastic over a 1,000-use lifespan, at just a tenth of the cost of single-use wrap.
Bearhug already serves over 100 customers across Australia and the US including Grifter Brewing Co, and is conducting several unannounced trials with major global FMCG companies.
Sustainable Plastics News
Here are five insightful articles on sustainable plastics and alternatives:
"Fruit stickers are annoying and bad for the environment. So why did an Australian ban come unstuck?"
Explores Australia's struggle to eliminate plastic fruit stickers, highlighting the challenges in adopting compostable alternatives.
Read more
"CCRI, VNIT collaborate to develop eco friendly packaging from orange peel waste"
Details a collaboration in India to create biodegradable packaging from citrus peel waste, promoting circular economy practices.
Read more
"Top 10 Eco-friendly Substitutes for Plastic"
Provides a comprehensive list of sustainable materials like bamboo, glass, and bioplastics that can replace conventional plastics.
Read more
"Scaling up plastic substitutes is key to tackling pollution"
Discusses the importance of international cooperation in promoting and scaling sustainable plastic alternatives.
Read more
"Plastic Alternatives: Are They Really Sustainable?"
Analyzes the environmental trade-offs of popular plastic substitutes, questioning their true sustainability.
Read more
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