The soft plastic recycling scheme will soon be expanding to Northland.

Photo: Facebook / Love NZ Soft Plastics Recycling

Residents will be able to drop off their soft plastic packaging from 16 March at Countdown supermarkets in Whangarei, Tikipunga and Dargaville.

The packaging will be baled up and transported south to Waiuku, where it will be made into fence posts.

Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme Chair Malcolm Everts said since collections re-started in may last year, over 13 million plastic bags and wrappers have been turned into posts, cable covers and garden edging.

"That's a major shift from relying on overseas markets to deal with our waste." he said.

"We are also encouraged to see less plastic being used with brands seeking alternatives and consumers choosing not to use single use plastic for fresh produce etc."

Everts said more collection points and regions will be added to the scheme as demand for items like fence posts increases.

"Put simply the more fence posts sold, the more plastic we can collect and recycle," he said.