Local School’s Recycling Initiative Inspires New Program

A new initiative to transform bottle lids into useful everyday items has taken root at MercyCare Early Learning Piara Waters, thanks to an inspiring collaboration with a nearby primary school.

The project, which engages children and educators in sustainability practices, promises to teach the next generation about the power of recycling and innovation.

The initiative was sparked by a local school project where students collect plastic bottle lids and use machines to repurpose them into useful items such as carabiners, pot plants, tumbling blocks, and bowls.

Leah Mizen, Centre Manager at Piara Waters Early Learning Centre, along with other educators, were familiar with the program due to their children attending the school.

“We were aware of the school’s initiative, and it really got us thinking,” said Leah.  “The local school collects bottle lids and uses machines to make them into new items like carabiners and bowls. We thought, why not do something similar at our centre to align with our Eco Warrior program?”

Leah and the centre’s eco-warrior visited the school’s science lab, where they received an up-close look at how the machines worked.

The school’s science teacher explained which lids were safe to use and showed them how they were transformed into new products.

“Seeing how the machines worked and learning about the whole process was inspiring,” Leah shared. “We knew we wanted to get involved, not just by collecting lids but also by allowing our children to take part in the creative recycling process.”

“We were so lucky to secure the funds, and now that the machines have arrived,” said Leah. “We will be taking our recycling efforts to the next level and, even better, share this program with our other centres .”

In the meantime, the centre organised an excursion to the school’s science lab. Five children, along with Leah, the eco warrior, and another educator, walked to the school, bringing with them a collection of bottle lids that had been carefully sorted and cleaned.

During the visit, the children participated in a learning session with the school’s science teacher, three Year 3 students, and the CEO of Remida, who taught them about recycling and how the lids are repurposed into new items.

“The children were so excited to see the whole process in action,” Leah recalled. “It was a great learning experience. They saw firsthand how their efforts in collecting and sorting lids actually helped create something new. It was also a wonderful opportunity to introduce them to sustainability in a fun, hands-on way.”

The project is set to become a model for sustainability that could be adopted across the region, showing how small efforts can lead to big impacts.