A WARWICK mum is making a concerted effort to be smarter with her plastic usage and is encouraging others to do the same, for the sake of the future.

And in the last week, plastic recycling became a whole lot more convenient for Warwick residents with the arrival of a REDcycle bin outside the Warwick Woolworths store.

Ann Vanderplassche said the REDcycle program made it easier for consumers to keep plastic bags and packaging out of landfill.

"A lot of people may not actually know that soft plastics or generally any plastic product you can scrunch into a ball are not accepted by our yellow-lidded council recyling bins,” she said.

"So these items end up in landfill, and we know they break down but never completely disappear.

"So know we've gt one of these bins in Warwick and another to come near the Coles supermarket, people should try to make the effort to dispose of their soft plastics there.”

The REDcycle organisation are a Melbourne-based consulting and recycling organisation, who give consumers an easy option when it comes to disposing of their sof plastic items, such as plastic bags.

These plastics are then recycled and along with Victorian manufacturer Replas, are turned into usuable items.

The two seats outside Warwick news Coles store are made from recycled plastics via the REDcycle program.

Ms Vandeplassche said it wasn't about forcing people or businesses to do something unrealistic.

"This is a great starting point,” she said.

"It's a step in the right diretion - if people don't know these bins are there they're not going to use them.”

Ms Vandeplassche said she's been aware of the REDcycle program for a few years.

"Once I found out about it and discovered there wasn't a collection point in Warwick I started stockpiling my plastic bags and soft plastics,” she said.

"Very quickly I had a visual of just how much of this stuff my household was using, so there began a concerted effort to use less.

"Not putting fruit and veges into plastic bags at the supermarket.

"Asking my butcher and baker if they would put my items in a reusable container and slowing reducing the amount of plastics we consume.

"It's something that is catching on slowly across the general population, given the upcoming plastic bag ban, people are growing more and more aware of the issue of plastic proliferation in our lives.”

Southern Downs Regional Council yellow lidded recycling bins DO NOT accept:

Plastic bags

Green waste

Ceramics

Broken glass

Polystyrene

Disposable nappies

Hazardous waste (eg chemicals/syringes)

Here's a comprehensive list of what to REDcycle

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)

Cereal box liners

Chip and cracker packets (silver lined)

Chocolate and snack bar wrappers

Cling Wrap - free of food residue

Confectionery bags

Dry pet food bags

Fresh produce bags

Frozen food bags

Green bags (Polypropylene Bags)

Ice cream wrappers

Large sheets of plastic that furniture comes wrapped in (cut into A3 size pieces)

Netting produce bags (any metal clips removed)

Newspaper and magazine wrap

Pasta bags

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 bladders - clear plastic ones only

Please make sure your plastic is dry and as empty as possible.

Here's what NOT TO REDcycle

Plastic bottles

Plastic containers

Any rigid plastic such as meat trays, biscuit trays or strawberry punnets

Adhesive tape

Balloons (of any kind)

Blister packs, tablets and capsule packaging

Blow up pools and pool toys - plastic or PVC

Bread bag tags

Cellophane from bunches of flowers

Christmas tinsel and Christmas trees

Coffee bags

Cooler bags

Disposable food handling gloves of any variety

Drinking straws

Film negatives and x-rays

Foam or polystyrene of any kind

Foil / Alfoil of any kind

Food waste

Glass

Laminated materials and overhead transparencies

Medical waste materials

Paper and cardboard

Paper post packs

Plastic/clear vinyl packaging from sheets and doonas etc

Plastic packaging that has contained meat

Plastic strapping used for securing boxes and pallets

Powdered milk packets, made of foil

Rubber, rubber gloves, latex

Tarpaulins

Tin cans

VHS Tape

Wet plastic materials as mould is a problem for us

Wine bladders - foil based

Wrapping paper and cardboard, ribbons or bows