Rethink Recycling

Rethink Recycling

Project Status: Ongoing

Website	An organisation developing new understandings of recycling
Description	An organisation developing new understandings of recycling
Location	Springvale, Vic, Australia
Public Access	Membership based organisation
Jurisdiction	Greater Dandenong Council
Authors
Residents	Approximately 21 members
Influences	Precious Plastics, Lids4Kids
Categories	Recycling research & education
Material's processed	Hard plastics, Soft plastics
Produce	Shredded Plastic, Extruded Plastic, Precious Plastics Brick, Recycling tools & Education

Rethink Recycling is a group currently under development to create new pathways for recycling plastics and to educate the public and students about utilising waste plastic. Rethink Recycling's website can be found here; www.rethinkrecycling.coop and the application form to join Rethink Recycling can be found at this link. Some of the founders of both Rethink Recycling and Recyclopaedia have been in discussions about recycling and the development of either organisation since 2019.

Rethink Recycling is currently equipped with one of Precious Plastics Shredders, an extruder, Brick molds, and other tools, in a factory space that members can access. Work on preparing the space and additional tools for the membership is still ongoing and was delayed substantially due to lockdowns related to the COVID-19 outbreak in Melbourne during 2020. Material collected during the Recycling research at home will eventually be processed by members of Recyclopaedia at Rethink Recycling, and turned into products such as the Precious Plastic's Brick for further development of that stream. On January 5, 2021 Recyclopaedia joined Rethink Recycling, a co-op headquartered in the suburb of Springvale, Melbourne.

Mission

Some of the machinery owned by cooperative members

The mission of Rethink Recycling is to teach schools, communities and industries how to rethink recycling, with particular focus on plastics, giving them the means, connections, and tools to do so. This is intended to help enable a just transition to a sustainable and renewable future, via a shift in production & consumption patterns, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 12; Responsible Production and Consumption. The cooperative will seek to develop mobile education programs for schools and communities, using recycling machines, establish waste collection, processing and manufacturing capabilities, including in partnership with the Lids4Kids program.

Activities

* Shredding plastic for various projects.
* Production of a plastic washing machine.
* Development of new, safer shredders.
* R&D for various Co-op members.
* Development of a 3D printer filament line.

Partners, affiliates and member organisations

* Supreme Green Landscaping
* Lids4Kids
* The Precious Plastic Community
* Acoye
* SilFresh
* Lotus Energy
* Precious Plastic ACT
* Templestowe College
* DATTA Victoria
* Aranda Primary School
* EcoMarine Services
* Recyclopaedia

Current goals

Short Term

* Developing school safe recycling machines
* Establishing a task force for primary school programs & curriculum
* Growing the Cooperative's membership base
* Implementing the first 5 collection points
* Raising funds for projects
* Producing online content for the website and social media accounts

Long Term

* Deliver educational programs to Primary Schools
* Expand curriculum options to secondary, tertiary and community audiences
* Build a mobile bus program for recycling education
* Implement programs into every school's curriculum across Victoria and Australia
* Increase collection and processing locations
* Build markets for recycled products
* Sell machines to facilitate the circular economy and other programs
* Build an interactive database of recycling facilities and products
* Commence a newsletter for the public and members
* Grow the cooperative through marketing and advertising