Why isn’t there a fun, educational, and practical way to tackle all the plastic waste we have around us? Oh wait…there is! Aspiri Primary School started its plastics reuse journey in 2022 by teaching students about the challenges of recycling small plastic waste, how to identify different types of plastics and the potential items that could be made using a household sandwich maker.
With inspiration from Jellyfish Plastics by ReMida and the Precious Plastics model of community-based plastics reuse, Aspiri seeks to ignite a movement of changemakers. To foster a passion for sustainability by teaching about plastic waste and circular economy principles, empowering students to engage in and drive positive change.
Students started investing their lunchtimes to continue cleaning and sorting plastic bottle lids. The Green Team helped to educate their peers and families on how to identify plastic lids that could be reused in the Science Lab. As our bottle lid collection began to grow, so did the student’s enthusiasm to find other ways to redivert plastic waste from landfill. The science specialist would take the clean and sorted lids to Jellyfish Plastics based at REmida to granulate and return to the lab. Although this was shared via video, students were missing out on experiencing key parts of the process, so we started researching machines that could be used in an educational setting.
Precious Plastics Melbourne developed the small but mighty tabletop granulator and extruder. The Year 6 students practiced their persuasive writing skills and submitted a request to the P&C requesting they purchase one of these machines. They agreed to getting the tabletop extruder paired with the carabiner mould. Staff and students were excited when the machine arrived and wasted no time unboxing it in the lab. Later that week, the Executive team purchased the tabletop granulator so that students at Aspiri could be involved in every step in the recycling process.
We started making carabiners (hooks) right away! These brightly coloured hooks can be seen on student’s hats, bags and key chains throughout the school. They make for a great conversation starter about the process we use to turn plastic bottle lids into useful everyday objects. Each hook uses 2-3 bottle lids and with over 600 made in our first year that’s 900 lids saved from landfill. We gifted hooks to other educators, members of the P&C, community members and special guests to the school.
Aspiri purchased two new moulds from Precious Plastics Melbourne, the tumbling tower block and mini flowerpot. Students were excited to start using these moulds to make a complete set of tumbling blocks to use in the library. There were a few challenges with the mini flowerpot mould that Precious Plastics Melbourne helped problem solve. With a small oven to preheat the mould along with some silicon spray, the mini flowerpot is a hit with students.
In 2024, classes were invited to participate in a whole school competition to collect clean plastic bottle lids with the recycle code 2, 02 or 4. With the top five classes winning a free incursion from Australian Earth Education the challenge was well received. There were over 7000 plastic lids collected during the competition! 1000 lids did not meet the requirements leaving 6000 lids that were granulated and turned into hooks, blocks and mini pots. The top collecting classes enjoyed their incursions from sandpit mining to lava viscosity.
Bin Chicken Recyclers is supporting students and the wider community to become sustainability champions. Working closely with the new Mercy Care, Aspiri hosted staff and children from the newly opened daycare to visit the science lab to find out more about micro plastic recycling. The daycare had collected lids that were clean, had a recycling triangle with the code 2, 02 or 4. They used the tabletop granulator to process their own lids. Dr Paul Armishaw from REmida, showed them how the everyday sandwich maker could turn their granules into a bowl. The special visitors from Mercy Care, along with some Aspiri students, then used the tabletop extruder to make their own carabiners. The children were excited to visit the science lab and to be leaving with their own special creations. Soon after Mercy Care purchased their own machines from Precious Plastics Melbourne and continue to work closely with Bin Chicken Recyclers.
In 2023, Dr. Paul Armishaw, CEO of REmida, and Bek Armishaw, Science Specialist at Aspiri, were invited to present their Bin Chicken Recyclers initiative at the state science teachers conference hosted by the Science Teachers Association of Western Australia (STAWA). They were invited back in 2024 for a repeat presentation. Their engaging, hands-on session reached over 15 educators and fostered new partnerships aimed at helping others start their own microplastic recycling initiatives. They have now been invited to present at the national science teachers conference scheduled for early 2025.
You are welcome to drop your bottle lids to Aspiri’s Science Lab, please remember:
Milestones
2022
- Worked with students and Aspiri and the Jellyfish Plastics at ReMida to create a project plan.
- Purchase of the tabletop extruder and carabiner mould thanks to the P&C
- Becoming Bin Chicken Recyclers by Aspiri
- Logo created
- Purchase of the tabletop granulator
- Students in years 2-6 all made their own carabiner
- Took our machines to Jellyfish Plastics by REmida to show staff and volunteers
- Collected 3000 plastics bottle lids
2023
- Co-presented with Dr Paul Armishaw at national science teachers conference CONSTAWA
- Created local partnerships with the Recycling Intent to receive more bottle tops, granules and the collection of unsuitable plastic lids
- Collected 6000 plastic bottle lids
2024
- Purchased mini pot and tumbling block mould
- Co-presented with Dr Paul Armishaw at national science teachers conference CONSTAWA
- Ran our first plastic bottle lid collecting competition with 5 classes receiving a free incursion from Aus Earth Ed
- Featured in Precious Plastics Melbourne’s Do-It-Yourself: Setting Up Your Precious Plastic Workspace handbook
- Worked with local Mercy Care daycare to set up their own micro recycling initiative
- Created first complete tumbling tower set
- Made our first mini pots
- Hosted a hands-on, informative session at the Aspiri Festival
- Collected 10 000 plastic bottle lids
