Every year, Aotearoa New Zealand generates more than 17 million tonnes of waste; it is estimated that only 28% of this is recycled, with the rest going to landfill.
Envirohub’s Precious Plastic Tauranga programme is part of a global, open-source enterprise comprising a range of innovative machines for small-scale plastic recycling. In the long-term, we’re all hoping to see single-use plastic designed out of our food and beverage market, but in the short-term, Precious Plastic Tauranga is working on circular solutions for a plastic resource that currently goes to landfill.
Plastic lids (from milk bottles, cream bottles, etc.) are too small for kerbside recycling, but they are ideal for a community recycling enterprise. Using a network of collection points, schools, and local organisations across the rohe, Envirohub gathers this resource and adds value through creative recycling. The main collection and processing point is at Envirohub’s office where the bottle tops are cleaned, sorted, shredded, and melted into craft sheets, blocks and moulded items. Through collaboration with a range of artists and community groups the sheets and blocks can be crafted into products such as earrings, pens, Bluetooth speakers, swings, keychains, hackeysacks, clocks, and more.
As the success of the program grows, Envirohub are now a collection point for 14 schools across Tauranga and many other individuals who are becoming increasingly mindful about waste and recycling. The number of lids being supplied is growing rapidly.
Envirohub is seeking partnerships and collaborations with any artists in the community that might want to use the plastic in either lid, shred or plastic sheet form for their artwork. They’d love to have a chat so get in touch with Cathy Donnelly at cathy@envirohub.org.nz.
