Aged care recycling program a win for residents and the environment

5 May 2022

An innovative recycling program at a Melbourne aged care residence is helping the planet, and supporting older peoples’ wellbeing, one bread tag and plastic lid at a time.

Since February 2021, Corpus Christi Aged Care Residence in Clayton, run by not-for-profit organisation VMCH, has been collecting and sorting plastic bread tags and lids to be remanufactured or sold for environmental groups.

Just last month, residents’ first load of 34,484 bread tags (11.5kg) was shipped off for recycling, with proceeds funding wheelchairs for people in South Africa via Aussie Bread Tags for Wheelchairs (61 wheelchairs since it began in 2018). The lids, meanwhile, are washed, dried, sorted (by polymer and colour) and sent to Rethink Recycling Co-op (RRC) to be remanufactured into meaningful products.

Corpus Christi residents sort plastic lids

VMCH physiotherapist and RRC Co-Founder Caitlyn Socwell, who introduced the program, says she’s thrilled with its progress.

“Residents say it makes them feel good knowing they are giving back to a greater cause, leaving them with a renewed sense of purpose and fulfilment. Plastic lid sorting also encourages residents with advanced dementia, who may not otherwise participate in activities, to become involved.”

Resident Jim says: “I like the fact that I’m doing something to help somebody else, and that people in the long run are benefiting from our efforts.”

A mural created by residents using unrecyclable plastic lids

While the concept of sustainability is nothing new to residents, Caitlyn says they enjoy learning about the latest initiatives and technology.

“Their generations typically grew up in times of conflict or shortages – a time when you fix what’s broken and use it until it’s gone. However, residents are often surprised by interesting sustainability facts that highlight the state of our climate.”

Jim says: “It’s important to see and learn different things every day. Ultimately, it’s important to learn about the end result and who/what will benefit from them.”

Caitlyn says RRC, together with Puppets Alive, is looking to expand the bread tag and lid sorting program to aged care and disability services across Melbourne. Corpus Christi is already a registered community collection point and sorting centre, allowing local community members to drop their bread tags and lids.

“Not only do we want to rescue plastic from landfill and our environment, we want to integrate an otherwise (seemingly) forgotten population back into the community and provide a sense of purpose and fulfilment,” Caitlyn says.

“Given the current climate crisis, making a positive impact on my local Australian community is my ultimate goal – helping its people, its planet, and its profit.”

If you’d like to get involved, email: info@rethinkrecycling.coop or visit Rethink Recycling.

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Acknowledgement of Country

We here at VMCH respectfully acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which we gather, and we would like to take a moment to honour the fact that we live on the lands of the oldest civilisation in the world. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and wisdom of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging.