Community Impact

Empowering real change through local engagement.

Close the Loop partners with schools, councils, retailers, and everyday Australians to turn sustainability into everyday action. From soft plastics to batteries, we deliver practical circular solutions that embed environmental responsibility into communities, turning participation into lasting impact.

Our Approach to Community Engagement

We work hand in hand with local communities through strategically designed, locally tailored programs that combine:

  • Accessible recycling infrastructure (e.g. supermarket drop-offs)
  • Kerbise and council-led collection trials
  • Educational outreach and hands-on events

All collected materials are sent to Close the Loop Group facilities for responsible recovery aligned to our zero waste to landfill model.

Key Initiatives & Programs

Soft-Plastics Recycling Trials

In collaboration with Woolworths, Coles, and ALDI, we launched an in-store collection at 10+ metro Melbourne locations. Soft plastics are processed into TonerPlas® and rFlex® at zero waste.

Free Battery Recycling Program

We distribute certified UL94 containers and offer nationwide pick-up services for businesses, schools, and retailers. The Envirostream system recovers over 95% of battery materials and ensures zero waste to landfill.

E-Waste Pop-Up Events

During National Recycling Week 2024, we partnered with Officeworks and Brother to host several e-waste collection days, collecting batteries, cartridges, and electronics from households.

Free Cartridge Recycling at Schools

Close the Loop supports Australian schools with a free Cartridges 4 Planet Ark recycling program, in partnership with Planet Ark since 2003.
 This initiative:

  • Is completely free for schools
  • Provides sustainability education opportunities to engage students

  • Helps schools divert waste from landfill and earn resource recovery certificates


To date, over 50 million cartridges have been collected and kept out of landfill.

Cosmetic Packaging Recycling

Through collaborations with global beauty brands, including MAC, Innisfree and L’Occitane, Close the Loop provides in-store drop-off at participating retailers. We’ve successfully recycled over 230 tonnes of cosmetic packaging including lipstick tubes, compacts, foundation bottles, aerosols and perfume containers.

Want to give your old electronics a second life?

EXPLORE OUR IT ASSET REFURBISHMENT SERVICES

Collaboration with Local Councils & NGOs

We work closely with municipal councils to integrate soft-plastics drop-off points and support community-led collection programs. Through partnerships with organisations like Planet Ark, we help expand access to responsible recycling, ensuring materials are recovered and repurposed rather than sent to landfill.

As a leader in soft plastics recovery, we process post-consumer materials through our proprietary systems, upholding our zero-waste commitment and turning complex waste into valuable resources.

Impact Snapshots & Stories

12 Melbourne supermarkets

participated in the soft plastics trial

Battery program recovers

95%+

of materials from returned batteries

Over 230 tonnes

of cosmetic packaging recycled with beauty brand partners

Over 1500+ km

of road paving with TonerPlas® in 2024

Over 7,000 schools

engage with our cartridge collection bins and sustainability education programs

National Recycling Week events

collected thousands of electronics and cartridges across metro hubs

Our People in the Community

Our local engagement teams host workshops, speak at schools, and attend pop-up events, ensuring that community members gain hands-on exposure to recycling and circular innovation. They report back with tailored impact statements, reinforcing our commitment to meaningful action.

Invite us to your school, community group, or event.

CONTACT OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM