Plant pots, clipboards, bowls, pens, earrings and phone holders are some of the everyday items that are being made from recycled lids as part of the Lids4Kids initiative.
Lids4Kids Geelong, a well known recycling initiative, has partnered with Southern Ocean Environment Link (SEOL) to support our local community and environment.
Many of us know small plastic lids are a big problem when it comes to recycling. Anything smaller than a credit card will fall through the gaps in material recovery machinery, which is why we are unable to accept them in yellow recycling bins. Lids4Kids Geelong have saved thousands of lids from going to Geelong landfill. Now, they are helping our local community again by partnering with Southern Ocean Environment Link (SOEL).
SOEL is an environmental charity based in the Bellarine Peninsular, conducting research, conservation and education to improve the health of the marine environment.
This partnership provides opportunity to build a circular economy in the Geelong region. Lids4Kids will support SOEL's Plastic Recycling Workshops, which provide a hands-on experience for students to recover their plastic waste and remanufacture it into school stationary. The collaboration will also support community based projects, including Wetland re-vegetation.
What does Lids4Kids accept for recycling?
- Any plastic lids from milk
bottles, cartons, disposable water, juice and soft drink bottles.
- Plastic bread tags
What don't Lids4Kids accept?
- Lids larger than a credit card, such as jar tops
- Pop top lids
- Medicine blister packs, corks, ring pulls, beer and wine bottle tops and washed aluminium coffee pods (these items used to be accepted but recent changes mean they no longer are)
What happens to donated plastic lids?
Rescued lids are sorted by volunteers and
diverted to a number of different recycling channels depending on the type of
plastic and colour.
Bright coloured
plastic lids made from plastic type #4 (the number you sometimes see in the
recycling triangle) are remade into new products, including combs, coasters,
clipboards and phone holders, by Ballarat-based company Zero Plastics Australia.
It
takes around 220 lids to make an A4 clipboard, 12 to 15 lids to make a coaster
and around 19 to make a comb.
Washed and sorted soft drink and other small lids made from plastic type #2 are forwarded to Precious Plastics in Melbourne to make items such as egg cups and bowls.
Navy blue lids, which are the most common, along with those made from plastic type #5 and a mix of #2 and #4, are taken to Geelong’s GT Recycling.
About one cubic metre of lids a week are processed there, where they are remade into plastic pellets, which are then used by Victorian manufacturers to make new items such as plant pots.
How can I help?
- Collect plastic lids and plastic bread tags and drop them off at a Lids4Kids collection site.
- Start-up a collection point through your local school, kinder, workplace, sports club or community group.
- Wash and dry all lids before
donating them – bonus points if you colour sort them and place in recycled bags, such as bread bags (turn bags inside out to remove breadcrumbs).
- Volunteer to help sort the lids into colours and plastic types. You can even pick boxes up to sort at home and return later – a great activity to do with kids.
Who should I contact to get involved?
To get involved as a volunteer join the Lids4Kids Western Victoria Facebook page.
Where can I drop lids off?
An updated list is available at the Lids4Kids Western Victoria Facebook page.
- Armstrong Creek
Coles, Surf Coast Highway
- Belmont
Coles, 158 High Street
Coles Village Shopping Centre, 65 High Street
Lifeline Op Shop, 174 High Street
South Barwon Community Centre, 33 Mt Pleasant Road
- Breakwater
Cafe Palat, 1/6-10 Apparel Close
- Corio
Coles Corio Village, Bacchus Marsh and Purnell Roads
- Drsydale
Coles, Murradoc Road
Lifeline Op Shop, Village Walk
- East Geelong
Eastern Hub and Seasons Café, McKillop Street
- Geelong West
Coles, Shannon Avenue
- Geelong
Coles Westfield, Moorabool and Brougham Streets
- Grovedale:
Lifeline Op Shop, Marshalltown Road
- Highton
Town and Country Children's Centre, 199 South Valley Road
- Lara
Coles, Waverley Road
- Leopold: Coles, Bellarine Highway
- Newcomb
APCO Service Station, Portarlington Road
Lifeline Op Shop, Watsons Road
- Ocean Grove
Coles, 77 The Terrace
- St Albans Park
Lifeline Op Shop, Boundary Road
- Waurn Ponds
Coles, Pioneer
Road and Princes Highway