After a three-year hiatus, the Lids4Kids recycling initiative is returning to the state with the help of the University of Tasmania’s Tech Solutions Hub.
Founded in 2019 by Canberra-based full-time Dad Tim Miller, the grass-roots project has since rescued over 114 million lids from landfill with the tireless help of its volunteers.
“Lids4Kids has inspired people of all ages from all over Australia to get involved with rescuing small plastic from landfill and start making sustainable products to benefit the environment."
“I'm particularly proud that so many schools have adopted the project which has demonstrated that no matter how old you are, you can still do something small every day, to help make your little corner of the world a better place,” said Miller.
The Tech Solutions Hub, located at The Makers Technology and Innovation Hub in Burnie, will be the home of Lids4Kids in Tasmania as they resume operation in the state.
“Tasmania was one of the earliest adopters of Lids4Kids, and the University of Tasmania is delighted to help bring back this vital initiative as part of our commitment to a sustainable future for Tasmania, Australia, and the world.
“Our Tech Solutions Hub is built around providing training and services for students, industry partners and the local community, so it’s the perfect place to host a people-powered initiative like Lids4Kids,” said Executive Dean of the College of Business and Economics Professor Stuart Crispin.
The first stage of the project will see University staff, their families and Lids4Kids volunteers on the North-West coast collecting clean milk, soft drink, and water bottle lids to be recycled at the Tech Solutions Hub.
“The plan is to turn these bottle lids into usable materials, like filament for our 3d printers, so we can give them a new life while teaching students from across the University and people in our community about the values of a circular economy."
“We’ve already had an expression of interest from a café in Melbourne to manufacture chairs for their venue, and we’re exploring other options, like furniture and merchandise to support the University’s sustainability mission,” said Technical Manager Andrew Willoughby.
The University of Tasmania is committed to environmental, economic, and social sustainability, with sustainability embedded across learning and teaching, research, community engagement and operations.
“The University approached Lids4Kids with a great idea for helping us close the loop on recycling in Tasmania and they have committed incredible energy and commitment to the partnership. It's wonderful to see a sustainable solution for Tasmania's small plastic waste being implemented by such an innovative institution,” said Lids4Kids CEO Emma Holliday.
For Chief Sustainability Officer Corey Peterson, this project highlights the importance of ensuring that sustainability efforts also support the University’s academic mission.
“The University’s Sustainability Team and the College of Business and Economics have a fantastic ongoing relationship to deliver on this collaboration, as reflected in the Lids4Kids project,” he said.
Stages two and three of the project will include local school participation, collection points across all University campuses and public collection for the Burnie community.