News
23 October, 2025
Plastic War Heats Up
The signs are meant to fight plastic — but they are made of plastic.
The signs are meant to fight plastic — but they are made of plastic.
Across the Southern Highlands, bold “Reject Repoly” plastic signs have popped up on fences, poles and street corners — secured, ironically, with plastic cable ties.
The signs back local resident Sam Wood, a respondent in Repoly’s Land and Environment Court appeal as the company seeks to overturn the Independent Planning Commission’s refusal of its Moss Vale plastics recycling plant.
Locals have rallied behind Wood and Southern Highlands Matters, with reports suggesting at least $110,000 has been raised for legal costs. Some residents not linked to Southern Highlands Matters have made homemade bed sheet banners, as previously reported by The Southern Wire.
But the plastic corflutes and the plastic ties have some residents questioning the optics. 'I’d be embarrassed to be using plastic when the community is standing against Repoly — a facility that would recycle plastics,' a long-time Highlands resident told The Southern Wire.
Repoly Director, Nancy Zheng, has not missed the irony – and she is running with it stating she 'warmly welcomes' the plastic corflutes.
'There are many plastic corflutes with plastic cable ties against us,' Zheng said. 'Plastic is still widely used and cannot yet be eliminated from daily life — but it ends up in landfill, which is deeply distressing.'
Pushing further, Zheng made an offer:
'Bring the plastic signs to us — we will recycle them and turn them into something useful for the community.'
Despite overwhelming community opposition to Repoly, Zheng has urged the 'small group' of opponents to 'respect the facts and pursue settlement instead of unreasonable confrontation.' Zheng added, Repoly is 'ready to move on and focus on contributing to our community' after time she says was lost to ‘misinformation.’
Wingecarribee Shire Council voted last month not to become a party to the appeal, although two councillors opposed that decision. The Southern Wire understands Council has raised concerns about the Reject Repoly signs being attached to public assets. The Council however have declined to comment.
The proceedings remain before the Land and Environment Court, which will determine the issues on the evidence and applicable law. The Repoly appeal is next listed for 28 October before Commissioner Targett for a case management conference online or in Court 3A. We will update readers after that listing.
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Are plastic signs ok or not — what do you think? No comments on the merits of the case are allowed.
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Read More: Moss Vale, Southern Highlands