Are aerosol cans recyclable? What about biscuit trays? How can you dispose of old paint and motor oil? Thanks to an app created by Eleanor Meyer and Stephen Halpin the answers are now at your fingertips. What’s more, the answers are tailored to your location.
The story began when Stephen and Eleanor were paired in a competition run by Monash University and Oxfam a couple of years ago. Now Sustain Me, the free app that resulted from their collaboration, has gone national. Download it, set your location, search for the item you want to dispose of, and the app delivers a solution, usually with a link to the relevant website. Importantly, the app isn’t just about recycling; it also provides directions for the safe disposal of non-recyclable materials.
Sustain Me is more than just an app. The social enterprise established by Stephen and Eleanor is also physically involved in recycling. In a service that is limited to metropolitan Melbourne for the moment, for $12.95 per large bin bag, the company offers a pickup and recycling service for soft plastics, polystyrene and textiles.
The app is aimed at all age groups, with a simple design accessible by anyone. It addresses the gap that Stephen and Eleanor have identified between the desire to do the right thing and access to reliable information. Most people are aware of problems such as plastic in the ocean but there is a lot of misinformation to contend with.
Whether you’ve got an iPhone or Android, download the app for free. Just set your location and search for aerosol cans and biscuit trays (they can go in your home recycling bin), old paint and motor oil (take them to your local council depot for safe disposal), or everything else from BBQ charcoal and meat trays to cookie tins and conveyor belts.
What about recycling solutions for businesses?
If you’re a business looking to recycle larger quantities of lighting, batteries or e-waste that’s where we come in. Ecocycle is Australasia’s state of the art licensed mercury recycler and we can arrange a wide range of solutions to suit your unique needs.
Call 1300 32 62 92 or fill out the form below, and one of our experts will be pleased to design an integrated recycling solution for your business.
