Frequntly Asked Questions
What is Curby?
Curby is Australia’s Smart Recycling Platform—making it easy for households to recycle soft plastics while building trust through full transparency.
Using specially marked Curby Program Bags or CurbyTags, each with a unique QR code, Curby tracks your soft plastics from the moment they leave your home, through processing, and into their next life as something new.
By combining convenient collection with smart, real-time recycling traceability, Curby empowers Aussies to make a real impact—one bag at a time.
How does Curby work?
Whether you’re using Curby for free through your council or subscribed to Curby Rewards, the process is simple—and every bag makes a difference!
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Collect Soft Plastics
Fill your CurbyBag with clean household soft plastics like bread bags, chip packets, and frozen food packaging.
Once it’s full, tie the handles in a knot to seal it. -
Scan & Link
Each CurbyBag or CurbyTag features a built-in QR code—just scan it using the Curby web app to link the bag to your Curby profile.
This helps us trace your soft plastics from home to processing and beyond. -
Drop Off or Bin It
Place your scanned bag into your yellow lid recycling bin (if approved by your local council), or drop it off at a participating collection point. -
Make an Impact (and Maybe Win!)
All users help keep soft plastics out of landfill—but if you’re a Curby Rewards subscriber, your scanned bags also earn Curby Points that are automatically converted into prize draw entries.
Win monthly prizes up to $1,000, or go big with the $10,000 annual grand prize!
What happens to my soft plastics once it's collected?
Once you have placed your CurbyBag in the yellow lidded bin, your CurbyBag will make its way to the Material Recovery Facility (MRF), where it will be picked out and separated from the rest of the comingled recycling. From here it is baled and sent for processing, which may vary between MRFs depending on the processing options available.
The baled collected material is sent to the Smart Processing Engineered Commodity facility operated by iQ Renew. SPEC is dedicated to sorting and processing 100% post-consumer soft plastics. The facility transforms post -consumer soft plastic into high-grade feedstock tailored to various manufacturer’s needs:
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Our A-grade product is suitable for both chemical and mechanical processors and will enable the growth and development of this market in Australia.
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Our B-grade material is ideal for making recycled pellets for use in manufacturing plastic products. Examples of this include non-food grade films, construction and agricultural products and many other plastic items.
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Our C-grade material is suitable for products made from extrusion moulding such as park benches, bollards, fence posts and many other moulded products.
Want to see how the facility processes soft plastic – Click here to watch!
What are Curby Program Bags?
Curby Program Bags are our new sustainable option for soft plastics recycling!
They’re made from 80% recycled plastic, including plastics collected through the Curby program.
Even better—they come with a built-in QR code, so there’s no need for a CurbyTag. Just scan, recycle, and you’re done!
How do i know if Curby is available in my area?
To check if the Curby recycling program is available in your area, simply:
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Visit the CurbyRewards website or download the Curby App from the App Store.
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Enter your postcode and suburb during the sign-up process or on the homepage.
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If Curby is available in your area, you’ll see a text box appear letting you know if kerbside collections are avaliable in your LGA or where your nearest srop off point is.
Why is it important to place my soft plastics in a bag and not put them in my yellow bin loose?
There are a number of reasons why soft plastics must be placed in a bag before being recycled through the yellow bin collection system:
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Loose soft plastics can become wind blown litter as your bin is being emptied into the bin truck
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Loose soft plastic becomes wrapped around equipment at the material recovery facility where it can cause maintenance issues
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Loose soft plastics are lightweight and flexible making it hard for sorting equipment to separate them from paper, creating contamination issues
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Loose soft plastic is more difficult for staff to pick out of the incoming comingled recycling
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Placing your Curby soft plastics in a bag also prevents them from being contaminated by other recyclables in the yellow bin
What is Curby Rewards?
Curby Rewards is Australia’s first and only customer loyalty program that rewards consumers for doing their part to recycle!
For households looking to recycle soft plastics, our Curby Rewards subscriptions make it easy by simply scanning a Curby Program bag and dropping it in a participating bin for a chance to win great prizes while having confidence you’re making a difference by recycling.
Is it important to scan my CurbyQr Code?
Yes—scanning is essential!
Every time you scan a CurbyBag orTag, it helps us track what’s being collected and allows us to report on the program’s performance. This data is vital in showing councils, partners, and the community that the program is working and making a real impact.
If you have an active Curby Rewards subscription, scanning also unlocks Curby Points, which are automatically converted into entries for our monthly and annual prize draws.
How do you collect my CurbyBag?
The Curby Program taps into the existing bin collection service offered through Council, all the recycling (including the Curby tagged bag) is placed inside the yellow bin to be collected on your normal bin collection day. From here, your recycling makes it’s way to the recycling facility where we recover your Curby tagged bag!
The only new steps for you are to scan your Curby tagged bag and pop it in your recycling, we’ll do the rest!
If you prefer to drop your CurbyBags off at your local supermarket, your CurbyBag will be delivered directly to our processing partners facility!
Why does Curby have a prize pool?
The prize pool is our way of rewarding your recycling efforts—and helping with everyday costs like groceries.
We’ve based our prize amounts on the average Australian household grocery spend, which according to Canstar Blue’s July survey is around $1,250 per month.
By offering monthly and annual prizes, we’re turning small recycling actions into a chance to win big, while keeping the focus on making a positive impact for our planet!
Why do the CurbyBags cost money?
We get it—paying to recycle can feel unusual, especially with the rising cost of living. But here’s why your contribution matters:
The soft plastics recycling industry in Australia is still growing and faces some real challenges. By choosing to purchase Curby Program Bags, you’re not just buying a bag—you’re helping to subsidise the cost of processing these complex materials and keep them out of landfill.
Part of the cost goes directly to supporting our local processing partners and manufacturers, helping to build the infrastructure needed for a stronger, more sustainable recycling future.
We completely understand that not everyone is in a position to contribute financially. That’s why we’re continuing to work closely with our industry partners to find the most efficient, accessible solutions for everyone.
How do i use my CurbyBag to earn rewards?
Getting started is simple—and rewarding! Just follow these four easy steps:
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Sign Up
Join Curby Rewards through the web app. Once you’re subscribed, you’ll receive a pack of CurbyBags in the mail —the number of bags you receive depends on your Eco Tier. The higher your tier, the more bags you receive! -
Collect
Fill your CurbyBag with accepted soft plastics. Once it’s full, tie the handles in a knot to seal it. -
Scan & Earn
Each CurbyBag has a unique QR code embedded right on the bag—no tags needed!
Simply scan it using the Curby web app to link it to your account and earn entries into the monthly and annual prize draws. -
Bin It
Place your scanned CurbyBag into your yellow lid recycling bin or your nearest participating bin—and you’re all set!
What if I recycle more than one bag a fortnight—can I get more?
Absolutely!
If you’re filling up your CurbyBags faster than expected (amazing work!), you can easily order extra bags through the web app by tapping the “Order” button.
