In preparation for summer we did a stock take of how many pool inflatables we have saved from landfill...
We always kept on saying we saved about 250 kg from landfill and oceans, yet what the heck! It's way more!
We’ve spend some time this morning calculating this, and over the nearly 3 yrs we have been operating we have diverted a whopping total of 968 kilogram*, which is nearly 1 tonne!! (2134 lb)
Woohoo! What a fabulous feeling is this!!
Where has it all come from ?
♻️ 200 kg from Brisbane through the Tarragindi Community Gardens recycle bin (8 x 25 kg wheelie bins)
♻️ 20 kg via I'm Plastic Free and Too Much Stuff in Darwin
♻️ 50 kg through Walk About Creek in Enoggerra (2 X 25 kg wheelie bins)
♻️ 30 kg from Banana Shire council through their banner recycling
♻️ 20 kg via @halve_waste from Albury Waste Management saved out of Lake Hume/Murray river in Albury Wodonga
♻️ 10 kg via Bundaberg Organic and Quality foods, DNA Swim Academy and Artisan4670 in Bundaberg
♻️ 10 kg from our Caloundra collection point through the lovely Marlene
♻️ 10 kg via Recycled Mats in Tweed Heads
♻️ 288 kg from customers throughout Australia direct to PLOYS 3 kg X 96 boxes (yep 96 discount vouchers of $10 have been sent out!)
♻️ 150 kg Sunnylife community recycle program 30 x boxes 5 kg boxes
♻️ 180 kg from Wahu with 60 boxes of pool toy misprint, damaged or punctured from Wahu (60 x 3 kg
Facts:
We'd love to repurpose pool inflatables when they're in a clean, near new (less than one year old), non perished or mouldy state and not discoloured condition. Please consider the state of your pool toy before donating.
Pool Inflatables are not able to be recycled through mainstream waste. We are proud that with your help we have recycled so much PVC waste yet sadly are aware that this is only a fraction of plastic in today's oceans
Our primary aim is to reduce waste so please follow manufacturing guidelines in using your pool inflatable and store them away inflated out of direct sunlight to make them last longer.
Firstly consider if you really need that many pool inflatables in your pool…
Don't leave them behind on beaches and lakes yet recycle appropriately.
Pool inflatables take up to 1000 years to disintegrate and remain in our environment as a microplastic...
Buy Back
Support buy back! Help us reduce plastic waste not just through a feel-good pool toy donation yet by Buying Back our bags and purses, and proudly showing off your PLOYS bag by promoting a circular economy. Let's not buy new plastic products and reduce the manufacturing of new plastics!
Disclaimer:
*This is an close estimation as practically we cannot weigh all boxes and wheelie bins.
** Of course we are no able to use every single corner of pool toy and have off-cuts. Material that cannot be used in bags, gets used for smaller accessories and valves are donated again to other businesses, the last unfortunately left over bits end up in landfill.
*** We are aware that our bags and purses eventually also end up in landfill yet what we have achieved is that no new virgin plastic was used
We like to thank all our PLOYS Eco Warriors and supporting recycling businesses such as
@tarragindicommunitygardens @halve_waste @i'mplasticfree @toomuchstuff @bundabergorganicandqualityfoods @DNAaquatics, @homeaccessories @sunnylife @wahoo @recycledmats @artisan4670 @walkaboutcreek @bananashirecouncil